#Armed Security Services in Potomac

[jettlightjourney]

How Armed Security Can Prevent Crime in Potomac’s High-Risk Areas

In Potomac, a city known for its serene neighborhoods, affluent residents, and peaceful surroundings, there are areas that face higher risks when it comes to criminal activity. From property crimes like burglaries to violent crimes and even threats to businesses, Potomac is not immune to the challenges that come with maintaining public safety. As crime rates in high-risk areas can fluctuate, many businesses and homeowners are seeking solutions to ensure their security. One of the most effective ways to combat crime and protect people and property is through the use of armed security services in Potomac.

Armed security professionals provide more than just a visible deterrent; they offer a proactive, hands-on approach to preventing crime. By utilizing highly trained security personnel, equipped with firearms and defensive tactics, armed security can play a pivotal role in keeping Potomac’s high-risk areas safe. This article will explore how armed security services can reduce crime in these areas, how global protection security companies are stepping up to meet the demand, and why they are an essential component of crime prevention.

The Growing Need for Armed Security Services in Potomac

Potomac is considered one of the safest places to live in Maryland, but, like many affluent regions, it faces a unique set of security challenges. High-net-worth individuals and businesses are often targets for specific types of crime, such as burglaries, robberies, and vandalism. Additionally, public safety concerns related to road rage, domestic violence, and gang-related activities can escalate without proper intervention.

Crime rates in Potomac may not be as high as in urban centers, but crime in affluent suburbs can be just as damaging when it occurs. The economic losses from property theft, damage to private residences, and violent confrontations can be catastrophic. This is where armed security services in Potomac come into play. These services offer robust solutions to protect properties, businesses, and individuals from various threats.

How Armed Security Prevents Crime in Potomac’s High-Risk Areas

The presence of armed security can drastically reduce the likelihood of crime in high-risk areas. Armed guards act as a powerful deterrent to potential criminals, as they are trained to handle hostile situations and de-escalate them before they turn violent. The mere sight of a highly trained security professional carrying a weapon can discourage criminals from attempting to target a property. But armed security does more than just act as a deterrent—it actively addresses and prevents potential threats.

Rapid Response and Threat Management

Armed security personnel are trained to respond swiftly to any threat. Whether it's a robbery in progress, an assault, or a disturbance, armed security guards can assess the situation and intervene immediately. Their readiness and tactical expertise allow them to neutralize threats quickly, preventing harm to residents or staff and minimizing property damage.

Patrols and Surveillance

Armed security teams in Potomac are often deployed for regular patrols of high-risk areas. These patrols are designed to cover both public and private spaces, including parking lots, commercial properties, and residential neighborhoods. By maintaining a visible presence, armed security not only discourages crime but also ensures that the area is continuously monitored. Additionally, many security companies integrate advanced surveillance systems with their armed security services, allowing for enhanced real-time monitoring of potentially vulnerable locations.

Access Control and Perimeter Security

In many high-risk areas, securing the premises through access control is essential. Armed security officers play a crucial role in regulating access points to sensitive areas, such as gated communities or high-security business facilities. They can manage visitor logs, monitor security cameras, and verify identification, ensuring only authorized individuals enter the premises. By enforcing strict access control measures, armed security services in Potomac reduce the chances of unauthorized personnel entering and committing criminal acts.

Proactive Crime Prevention Strategies

Armed security guards are often tasked with being vigilant and proactive in preventing crime. This includes identifying security vulnerabilities, implementing appropriate solutions, and constantly assessing potential threats. By remaining alert and aware of the surroundings, they can prevent crime before it even happens. Their training includes knowledge of local crime trends and tactics that can be employed to prevent these incidents in high-risk areas.

Protection Against Violent Crime

In Potomac's higher-risk areas, violent crimes like assaults, home invasions, and even active shooter situations are possible. Armed security personnel are specifically trained to handle such dangerous situations. In the event of an emergency, armed security can respond quickly to de-escalate or neutralize the threat, providing immediate protection for residents, employees, and customers.

Global Protection Security: A Leader in Potomac’s Safety Solutions

As the need for armed security services in Potomac continues to grow, many residents and business owners turn to trusted global protection security companies for assistance. These companies provide highly trained and well-equipped security professionals who understand the complexities of securing high-risk areas. Global protection security companies pride themselves on their rigorous hiring processes and comprehensive training programs. Their personnel are selected not only for their ability to respond to high-pressure situations but also for their dedication to maintaining public safety and order.

Global protection security companies in Potomac are equipped with cutting-edge technology to complement their armed security teams. From state-of-the-art surveillance cameras to real-time communication systems, these companies ensure their security personnel have the tools necessary to respond efficiently and effectively to any threat.

Why Armed Security Services Are Essential for High-Risk Areas

In high-risk areas like those in Potomac, the need for armed security services cannot be overstated. These areas require a level of protection that goes beyond regular security measures. Here are a few key reasons why armed security is crucial for crime prevention in Potomac’s high-risk zones:

Crime Deterrence: The sight of armed security can act as an immediate deterrent to criminals who might otherwise target a vulnerable property.

Expert Handling of Dangerous Situations: Armed security personnel are specially trained to handle dangerous situations, preventing escalation and harm.

Comprehensive Protection: From surveillance to access control, armed security offers a comprehensive protection package that addresses multiple aspects of security needs.

Tailored Security Solutions: Armed security services can be customized to meet the unique needs of businesses, residential areas, and high-net-worth individuals.

Peace of Mind: Ultimately, the presence of armed security provides peace of mind for those in high-risk areas, knowing they are protected by professionals who are prepared for any situation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What types of training do armed security personnel undergo?

Armed security personnel undergo extensive training that includes firearms proficiency, conflict de-escalation, surveillance techniques, first aid, and emergency response. Their training ensures they are prepared for a variety of scenarios.

2. How does armed security differ from unarmed security?

Armed security personnel are equipped with firearms and are trained to respond to more severe threats, such as violent crimes. Unarmed security primarily focuses on surveillance and access control but may not be able to manage high-risk situations as effectively as armed personnel.

3. Can armed security services be customized for specific needs?

Yes, armed security services can be tailored to suit the specific needs of businesses, residences, and high-risk locations. Security plans are developed based on the risk level and the security requirements of the property or individual.

4. Are armed security services in Potomac expensive?

The cost of armed security services can vary depending on the level of security required, the number of personnel needed, and the complexity of the security plan. However, many global protection security companies offer packages that can be adjusted to fit various budgets.

5. How do I hire armed security services in Potomac?

To hire armed security services, it's best to contact a reputable security firm that specializes in armed protection. They will assess your security needs and provide a comprehensive plan tailored to your property or business.

Conclusion

Armed security services in Potomac play a critical role in protecting high-risk areas from criminal activity. With highly trained professionals, advanced surveillance systems, and proactive crime prevention strategies, armed security provides a comprehensive solution to combat crime. Global protection security companies are dedicated to ensuring the safety of individuals, businesses, and communities by offering customized, efficient, and effective security solutions. Whether for residential or commercial purposes, armed security is essential to maintain peace of mind and protect what matters most.

[bllsbailey]

What Happens If We Don't Have a SecDef When Trump Takes Office on Monday?

When President-elect Donald Trump takes the Oath of Office on Monday, it's likely that only one of his hand-picked national security team will have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate: Marco Rubio, Trump's pick for secretary of State. 

Trump's Foreign Policy Priorities Come Into Sharp Focus at Marco Rubio's Confirmation Hearing

Republicans like Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) have been beating the drum for weeks about the importance of quickly confirming Trump's team to ensure there are no lapses or gaps in national security. He took to the Senate floor last week, noting that Trump had nominated his core team before Thanksgiving and, given his electoral mandate, must have his nominees in place when he takes office.

“These nominees are bold choices. They are motivated. They are skilled. They are committed to the safety and security of every American. “Most importantly, they show that President Trump is serious about bringing fresh eyes and real change to Washington. “This is exactly what the American people elected him to do. “Senate Republicans are committed to get President Trump’s team in place quickly. Our Committee Chairs are working aggressively to give each nominee fair and speedy consideration."

Once the confirmation hearings got underway, Barrasso continued to call for Trump's national security team to be primed to hit the ground running, calling particular attention to the need for Pete Hegseth to be confirmed as secretary of Defense.

Alas, Senate Democrats seem hellbent on dragging out the Hegseth confirmation process as long as they possibly can, leaving us to wonder what happens if we don't have a SecDef on Monday? After all, conflicts won't stop churning and bad actors won't take the day off.

We know for sure that Biden's SecDef, Lloyd Austin, will no longer be at the helm. As RedState's Nick Arama reported Friday, Austin was clapped out by Pentagon staff as he made his final exit and rode off into the sunset.

What was Austin most known for? Probably when he went missing because of illness--without telling anyone--at a critical time. The terrible withdrawal from Afghanistan was also on his watch, and no one has been held accountable for that. They want to talk about Pete Hegseth? I don't think we'll find Hegseth going missing like Austin or failing to be held accountable. 

We know for sure that Donald Trump will be commander in chief as of 12:00 p.m. ET Monday, but it's somewhat murky as to what will be happening across the Potomac River at the Pentagon. As of Friday, no acting defense secretary had been designated, leading military officials in the Army, Navy, and Air Force to begin preparations in case they need to step in.

It is expected that Hegseth's nomination will be voted on Monday by the Senate Armed Services Committee, but it could take several more days before it goes to the full Senate for a vote. In the meantime, a holdover from the Biden administration could cover those days, but it seems that there is a reluctance from the short-timers to stay on, even if just for a short while, because they may be asked to enact Trump's policies. 

Therefore, the ball is in Team Trump's court.

For the service secretaries, officials said that while things could still change before the inauguration, the Trump team is eyeing Gen. Randy George, chief of staff of the Army, to be that service’s temporary head. They said Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy chief, are aware they may have to step in if no civilian is named as acting secretary, and they are preparing for that possibility.

Four years ago, Trump's deputy secretary of Defense, David Norquist, stayed on the job until Lloyd Austin was confirmed. If the Biden team won't offer the same courtesy, then it sounds like a plan is falling into place to ensure that the military might of the United States remains intact.

RELATED:

Pete Hegseth Brings His 'A' Game and Gets the Job Done

Pete Hegseth Ends Elizabeth Warren With Just Five Words in Contentious Confirmation Hearing Exchange

[huangyujing]

Farewell to 2021 Part 1

Ripped open by the U.S. Capitol rioters, 2021 began its agonizing first one-third without covid-19 vaccines. My gaze on a pandemic-ridden world as a photojournalist, for a period of time, was brushed with fear as a human being.

In suppressing the anxiety of betraying the role of a neutral observer, I gradually came to recognize the value of my own experience as a part of collective memory; one that was shared globally during this unusual era.

Whether it’s first person or third person point of view, I tried to frame the world with honesty, recreating a moment that was seen, or felt.

Below, my firsthand experiences in 2021 in chronological order:

- A surreal Washington, D.C. that resembled a dystopian film with fences all around Capitol Hill.

Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument at dawn from Mount Vernon Trail across the Potomac River, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. The National Mall, which included the two mentioned landmarks, were surrounded by barriers and fencing, a security measure to prevent extremist activities after the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection.

A Secret Service agent closes the gate with the National Guard behind him on 17th street near the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. The heavy security was a precaution against possible violent attack similar to Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. Some fences and checkpoints remained throughout the city until July, 2021.

- A rally in which Asian Americans stood in solidarity across the United States to denounce anti-Asian hate crimes.

Lan Luu, 76, an immigrant from Vietnam who has resided in the United States for 22 years, steps down the stage as others reaching out their arms to assist her at Unity Against Hate rally at Freedom Plaza, Saturday, May 15, 2021, in Washington. Sponsored by 86 Asian organizations nationwide, the event was held across the United States during Asian American Pacific Islander Month. The Speakers, including Rep. Kai Kahele, D-Hawaii, Former Rep. Mike Honda, D-Ca., State Senator Clarence Lam, D-Md., and Bakhshish Singh Sandhu, the president of a local Sikh organization in D.C., Council of Khalistan, stood in solidarity, calling for an end to hate crimes against AAPI and all the other communities.

- A demonstration on Palestinians��� Nakba day that brought hundreds of diverse protesters to Washington, D.C.

“Free, free, Palestine,” chanted hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters who marched from the Washington Monument to the U.S. Capitol in the afternoon on May 15, 2021. Hours before the protest, Israel bombed a Gaza media tower that housed Al Jazeera and the Associated Press offices, along with some residential apartments.

It was the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba Day. As the Zionists established the state of Israel in 1948, more than 700,000 Palestinian people were expelled as a result of Israel’s war of independence. Conflict between the two nations has been going on since.

Left: The woman in keffiyeh waves a Palestinian flag while marching toward the U.S. Capitol, Saturday, May 15, 2021, in Washington. The head scarf, known as keffiyeh, as well as the flag, symbolize the Palestinian nationalism. Both are widely seen in the protest.

Right: A group of Muslim men pray next to a prop tank in front of the U.S. Capitol, Saturday, May 15, 2021, in Washington.

- The first celebration of Juneteenth as a U.S.A. national holiday.

On a largely bipartisan basis of 415-14, the U.S. House of Representatives passed The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on Wednesday, June, 16, 2021. The bill was signed by President Biden on the following day, officially making Juneteenth a national holiday.

D.C. welcomed the newly recognized federal holiday with a series of activities; one of which being musical events. At Black Lives Matter Plaza on Juneteenth, a group of joyful revelers danced with Go-Go music performed by D.C. local bands. Later that afternoon, they would march down 16th Street to their destination at the intersection of 14th and U Street – a historic site critical to African American culture - where black Washingtonians gathered after learning of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination in April of 1968.

Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day, which originated in Texas in 1866. Issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War in 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation had a late arrival of two years in the geographically isolated Galveston, Texas.

As time goes by, the commemoration continues to speak to a changing society in which racial inequality persists. As cheerful as the atmosphere was at Black Lives Matter Plaza, slogans that reiterate the advocacy of racial justice still could be easily spotted on signs or shirts.

“Stop over policing our communities,” read the poster printed in bright colors with cartoonish font on the Go-Go music truck.

Left: Cole Nic, one of the vocalists of the N2L Band, gestures during the performance at Black Lives Matter Plaza on Juneteenth, Saturday, Jun. 19, 2021, in Washington. The performance was a part of The Million Moe March, which is led by the organization Long Live Go-Go. Using Go-Go music as a force, their mission is to protest against gentrification and police brutality.

Right: A group of revelers dance to Go-Go music at Black Lives Matter Plaza on Juneteenth, Jun. 19, 2021, in Washington. The red, black, and green flag draped around the shoulder of the person in the center, is the Pan-African flag that represents people of the African Diaspora to symbolize black freedom.

To be continued...

© 2021 Photography by Yu-jing Huang. All rights reserved.

[my-life-with-migraine]

16 Facts About Migraines

Unless you suffer from migraines yourself, you may think that having a migraine means having a really bad headache. But debilitating head pain is only one part of the medical condition called migraine disorder. Other common symptoms are nausea, dizziness, fatigue, sensitivity to light and sound, and even temporary blindness. The symptoms and causes of migraine look different in different patients, and researchers are only now beginning to understand what the condition is and how to treat it. Here are some of the most enlightening facts we know about migraine disorder.

1. IT'S THE THIRD MOST COMMON DISEASE IN THE WORLD.

Even if you don’t suffer from migraine, chances are you know someone who does: The disorder affects 14.7 percent of the population, or one in seven people, around the world. In the U.S. alone, roughly 39 million people are affected by the condition. Chronic migraine(experiencing at least 15 headache days per month over a three-month period, with over half being migraines) is more rare, impacting about 2 percent of the world population.

2. WOMEN SUFFER MORE THAN MEN.

Of the one billion people on Earth who have migraine disorder, three-fourths are women. Medical experts suspect this has to do with the cyclical nature of female hormones. According to research presented earlier in 2018, NHE1, the protein that regulates the transfer of protons and sodium ions across cell membranes, is a crucial component of migraine headaches. NHE1 production likely fluctuates a lot more in women than in men. When scientists looked at the brains of lab rats, they found that NHE1 levels were lowest when estrogen was at its peak. In general, female rats also had four times the amount of NHE1 in their brains as males. If the same holds true for people, that could explain why women are not only more likely to suffer migraines in the first place, but why they experience them more frequently and more intensely, and have more difficulty responding to treatment.

3. MIGRAINE TRIGGERS VARY WIDELY.

For doctors and sufferers, migraine triggers can be a source of confusion. They vary from patient to patient and often come from unexpected sources that have no relation to each other. Stress, too much or too little sleep, dehydration, alcohol, and caffeine are some of the most commontriggers. Some people get migraines after eating specific foods, like cheese, and others are sensitive to changes in weather conditions like barometric pressure. Some people manage their migraines by pinpointing and avoiding triggers.

4. FOR SOME, AURAS ARE A WARNING THAT A MIGRAINE IS COMING.

Before the nausea, dizziness, and splitting head pain begin, auras warn some people that a migraine is on its way. Less than 25 percent [PDF] of migraine sufferers experience distorted senses, such as numbness or tingling in the hands or face, or blotches of light or darkness disrupting their vision. Auras usually occur 10 to 30 minutes before the migraine develops and last from five minutes to one hour.

5. SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE TEMPORARY BLINDNESS …

Unlike migraine with aura, retinal migraine is limited to one eye. Symptoms range from seeing twinkling stars to partial or complete loss of vision. The same eye is almost always affected, and the person typically regains their sight after 10 to 20 minutes.

6. … AND LOSS OF LIMB FUNCTION.

One of the rarest, and scariest, subtypes of migraine is hemiplegic migraine. People with this variant can experience weakness, numbness, tingling, or loss of motor function in parts of one half of their body, including their arm, leg, or face. Though sensations usually dissipate within 24 hours, they can last anywhere from one hour to several days. Sometimes they’re accompanied by typical migraine symptoms, such as head pain, but they can also occur on their own.

7. KIDS GET MIGRAINES TOO.

Migraine isn’t just a problem for adults—up to 10 percent of all school-aged kids are affected by the disorder, with reported cases coming from children as young as 18 months. According to the documentary Out of My Head (2018), migraine is the third most common reason for child emergency room visits. The symptoms of migraine in kids are similar to what’s seen in older patients: They may experience intense head pain, sick feelings, distorted vision, and sensitivity to sound and light. The major differences are that child migraines often develop suddenly and are shorter than they are in adults. In children, it’s not uncommon for the nausea and abdominal pain to feel worse than the actual headaches. Just as some sufferers don’t experience their first episodes until after puberty, some children with migraine grow out of it. According to one study, migraine symptoms disappeared completely in 23 percent of former child sufferers by age 25.

8. MIGRAINE MAY BE HEREDITARY.

For most people with migraine disorder, it runs in the family. Anywhere from 80 to 90 percent of migraine sufferers report having at least one family member who has it as well. If one parent has migraine, there’s a 50 percent chance their child will eventually have to live with migraine—and that risk shoots up to 75 percent when both parents have the condition.

9. MANY VETERANS RETURN HOME WITH MIGRAINES.

Genetics isn’t the only factor that contributes to someone’s chance of having migraine disorder. One study found that after a 12-month deployment in Iraq, 36 percent of veterans exhibited symptoms of migraine. The cause often stems from head or neck trauma sustained from explosions, falls, or other accidents during their service. While post-traumatic migraine goes away in most patients within a few months, in some cases it can develop into a chronic condition.

10. MIGRAINE IS LINKED TO THE "SECOND BRAIN" IN YOUR GUT.

In addition to the part of our nervous system that responds to outside stimuli, humans have an enteric nervous system: the part responsible for regulating digestion. Some medical experts believe that migraine is closely tied to this “second brain.” People with migraine are twice as likely to have IBS as people with tension headaches. Abdominal migraine, where the pain is concentrated in the stomach rather than the head, is one form the condition takes. It's most often seen in children, but it can affect adults as well.

11. DESPITE THE HIGH COST OF MIGRAINE DISORDER, RESEARCH IS UNDERFUNDED.

In 2017, the National Institutes of Health invested $22 million in migraine research. Asthma research received $286 million, breast cancer $689 million, and diabetes $1.1 billion.

12. THE DISORDER COSTS US UP TO $13 BILLION ANNUALLY.

Though migraine isn't life-threatening like these other conditions, it is widespread enough to have a negative impact on society as a whole. Workers with migraine often end up taking a lot of time off from their jobs, which can cost their employers. According to Out of My Head, it’s estimated that 113 million work days are missed annually due to migraine, adding up a to $13 billion loss.

13. MIGRAINE MAY HAVE INSPIRED PARTS OF ALICE IN WONDERLAND …

In the famous children’s book, Alice drinks a liquid that makes her grow many times her size and eats a cookie that shrinks her to tiny proportions. Migraine sufferers may recognize themselves in these passages. Possible symptoms of the disorder include micropsia and macropsia, or perceiving objects to be much smaller or larger than they really are. Some theorize that Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll suffered migraines and wrote his experiences into his story. The book’s connection to migraine is so famous that today the related symptoms are commonly known as Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.

14. … AND PLAGUED A FOUNDING FATHER.

Another famous person from history who likely suffered from migraines was Thomas Jefferson. His symptoms could last for weeks and often appeared during stressful times in his life. There was even an episode that coincided with one of the most important nights of his political career. One night in June 1790, he invited Federalist Alexander Hamilton and Republican James Madison to his home for a dinner party in the hopes of getting his peers to agree on a location for the new U.S. capital. Despite dealing with lingering head pain from a migraine, he successfully brokered the compromise that landed the capital at its current spot on the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. In return, Madison agreed that he would not block Hamilton's plan for the federal government to take on state war debt, thus helping establish the young nation's credit.

15. MIGRAINE IS LINKED TO DEPRESSION.

In the U.S., up to 40 percent of people with migraine also have depression. Risk of anxiety, bipolar disorder, and panic disorder are also higher in migraine sufferers. Researchers are still figuring out the connections between mental illness and migraine. While the anticipation of painful symptoms can cause depression and anxiety in some people, experts believe that mental illness is often more than just an effect of living with migraine. The production of the brain chemical serotonin is involved in both migraine and depression. That’s why tricyclic antidepressants designed to increase serotonin levels are sometimes prescribed to treat migraine.

16. A NEW SHOT CAN TREAT MIGRAINE.

Many migraine therapies from the past few decades have been the result of trial and error. Medications designed to treat other conditions, such as antidepressants, epilepsy medicine, and botox, have all been prescribed to migraine sufferers, with mixed results. Earlier in 2018, the first-ever shot made to treat migraines specifically secured FDA approval. The shot, which blocks a peptide linked to migraine, is taken once a month and can improve symptoms or completely eliminate them in some cases. Before the new injection came along, the only other migraine-specific medications patients had to choose from were triptans, which stimulate the neurotransmitter serotonin. They can't prevent migraine, but they can help dampen symptoms by reducing inflammation and constricting blood flow. According to Out of My Head, triptans were first approved more than two decades ago—so new medication options are long overdue.

[kaiwrites]

The Fics...

Everything I’ve posted on AO3 so far, in case you feel like a little bit of reading...

A Little Closer to Okay 

When the Fun Vee hit a IED, Tony wasn’t the only one to end up captured in the cave.  The other passengers, Steve, Sam, Bucky, Natasha and Clint, are held prisoner and tortured along with him. 

This is the story of how they moved on after being rescued from Bucky’s POV.

T, warnings for PTSD and mentions of torture

Out of Place and Lost in Time (Part 1 of 4 in the With You I’m whole Series)

Steve is lost in the supermarket, talking to himself as he makes his way through the aisles. James thinks its adorable, and not so stealthily stalks him. And then Steve is in James' house, brought by a mutual friend, carrying pie.

A tale of rediscovery, reinvention, and transformations. Of an author and an artist. Of train rides to the beach in winter and pie like Ma used to make. And of course, a tale of idiots in love.

Transgender FtM Steve with reclusive paranoid Bucky, Background Nat/ Sam

Riding on Trains with Queers (Part 2 of With You I’m Whole)

With Clint's help, Steve comes up with a theme for his gallery showing, and remembers the people and events in his past that helped him through his coming out and transition. It seems that a lot of his memories involve riding on trains.

Transgender Steve, mostly his story in this fic.  Warnings for deadnaming in flashbacks, dysphoria, anxiety and past Steve/ Peggy and Steve/ Dum Dum Dugan relationships. 

(I have plans for parts 3 and 4, and I’ve even started writing the Bucky centric part 3, but I have no idea when I might get the inspiration to pudate on this one.)

The Robot Dick Olympics (Bopeep wrote chapter 1, I wrote chapter 2, it will probably be a WIP forever...)

 This is some straight up crack that revolves around dick jokes, brought to you be the enablers in the Captain America RBB Slack Chat. 

Bucky Has a Metal Dick to match his arm, Tony feels the need to compete and builds a robot dick for the Iron Man Suit, and Clint suggests his normal human dick as the controll.   Natasha wants nothing to do with any of it. 

First Kiss

Another one brought to you be the enablers in the Captain America RBB Slack Chat, exept its more of the sad and Angstly variety, and not Crack at all. 

So, tell me Steve.” Natasha demanded, glancing over at him briefly, “If I wasn’t your first kiss since 1945, who was it?”

“Huh?” Steve asked, looking confused “First kiss?”

“Yeah, remember a couple of years ago when I kissed you to hide from Rumlow? You said I wasn’t your first.” Natasha reminded him.

“Oh yeah.” Steve answered, with a slight groan. He had been hoping Nat would have forgotten about that by now. “It’s a stupid story, you really don’t want to hear it.”

Warnings for unprotected anonymous sex, depression and possibly making you cry a little. 

Taraksvasana  My piece for the 2017 Captain America Reverse Big Bang with art by @starlingzinc.  

It's been a year since the events of Civil War, and six months since Bucky was awoken from cryo-freeze in Wakanda and came back home to Steve and their house in the mountains. They were finally living their own lives, together and not having to hide.

They still had their demons to battle, but they couldn't control their futures. They had a quiet life now, with friends nearby, plans for a vegetable garden, and yoga. No one would have guessed the former winter soldier would end up obsessed with yoga.

A Life Near By

Bucky may have snuck away after saving Captain America from the Potomac, but he didn't go far. He needed answers, and this Steve guy seemed to have them, so he did the last thing anyone would have expected, hiding out in the middle of Washington, DC while working on answering the most important question.

Who the hell was Bucky, and why was he so important to this Captain America guy anyway?

Broken Soul Seeking Same  (WIP, currently working on what will probably be the final chapter)

Roommates to Lovers after meeting through craigslist AU. Bucky lost his arm in an accident and works as a restraunt manager.  Steve suffers from chronic pain due to physical disability.  Thor is a Chef and Community service hero.  

Everyone is stronger with help and support from others, and for those living with disabilty, it’s practically essential.  The right partner through it all can make a world of difference.

Warnings for M/M sex, marijuana use and refereces to traumatic events. 

Other things in the works.... (the comming soon/ preview section perhaps?) 

Autistic Bucky- Bucky was sent away to the Hydra Acadamy to be ‘fixed’ after being diagnosed with autism at age 10.  He comes out a different person, suffering from PTSD and Anxiety as a result of behaviorial therapy, and only Steve can put him back together.   The daily life  and routines of Bucky and his boyfriend Steve, and his job at the animal shelter he runs with Sam. 

Ive got about 5K written, with ideas to make this one close to 20K.  I think theres a Big Bang comming up .....

Bike messenger Steve- Fluffy AU ideas that have been floating around my head for a while.  Steve is a bike messenger who is always getting hit by cars.  Bucky is the security guard who always notices the new scrapes and bandages.  Standard mutual pining between idiots.  Probably 5k or so if I ever manage to write the thing.

“Meh,” Steve said with  a shrug, “just a bit of roadrash.”

A Wreck among Kings (working title)

Character study on Jack from the Kings TV series. How do you mourn a lover you were unable to aknowledge? 

Started for the Sebastian Stan Birthday that never actually happend.  No idea if anything will actually happen with this, but i have lots of notes.

[rawenews-blog]

The Seven-Fold Yoke And The Cabal That Own Nigeria (Northern)

THE SEVEN-FOLD YOKE AND THE CABAL THAT OWN NIGERIA ( Northern ) Permit me to share a scholarly, revealing and I daresay disturbing intervention which was sent to me by a friend. The author wishes to remain anonymous. He wrote as follows: "The disruptive power of the Hausa-Fulani (Northern) cabal is a structural reality and will only get worse, no matter where the President of Nigeria comes from. It is a seven-fold yoke which we must break for the sake of our children. 1. THE POLITICAL YOKE: Globally, out of the 16 Federal Republics in the world, Nigeria is the only federation where land mass is used as a primary criteria for creating federating units. NO Southern leader (civilian or military) has ever had the guts to create any federating unit; all the federating units have been created by Northern military adventurers. 20 federating units were created from only one region (North), while 17 federating units were created from 3 regions (East, West and Midwest). Competent leaders are easily filtered off by the rigged political structure. At every election, the evil and corrupt Northern cabal needs only a few Southern collaborators to impose any presidential candidate upon the two foremost political parties, only for the electorate to formalize one of the candidates with votes. That's why Nigeria has been having such mediocre leaders as President, in a country awash with extremely capable presidential materials. This also explains why since 1960 no Southerner has ever led Nigeria except by accident. The FIRST coming of ALL 3 Southern leaders - Aguiyi-Ironsi in 1966, Obasanjo in 1976 and Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 - followed the death of Northern incumbents! The fourth and only other Southern leader was Ernest Shonekan and his coming followed the forced "stepping aside" of a northern Head of State in 1993. He lasted for 3 months after which he was toppled and replaced by another northern military Head of State. For 2019 the presidential contest is being set for Atiku vs Buhari- two Fulani representatives of the Cabal. 2. THE ECONOMIC YOKE: Nigeria is the only oil-producing country where oil wells are allocated to individuals. The Hausa-Fulani cabal allocated over 80% of the oil blocks either to the Northerners or to their Southern fronts/allies. The names of these oil block allotees are in the public domain. 3. THE RELIGIOUS YOKE: No other faith is mentioned in the Nigerian Constitution, except Islam. For instance, in the 1999 Constitution, Christ, Christians and Christianity are not mentioned even once; whereas Islamic signposts are strewn all over the Constitution - Sharia is mentioned 73 times, Grand Khadi 54 times, Islam 28 times , Muslims 10 times, etc.. That Constitution was written SOLELY by one Muslim Fulani Jihadist named Prof. Auwalu Yadudu (Special Adviser to Abacha on Constitutional Matters). While the 1979 Constitution emphasized Nigeria’s secularity, the 1999 Constitution of Yadudu is a de facto Islamic Constitution, and the Cabal ensured that Yadudu was there to fight that position at 2014 National Political Conference. Subsequently, during Obasanjo's govt, the same Northern cabal formally adopted Islam as the State Religion in the core Northern States. Obasanjo refused to even discuss the issue, except to state that it would 'fizzle out'. He knew fully well that it would not 'fizzle out' but was afraid of confronting the cabal. 4. THE CULTURAL YOKE: The Sultanate forms a major pillar of the Hausa-Fulani cabal. As permanent President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) the Sultan is the permanent leader of all Muslims in Nigeria (whether they are Northerners or Southerners). As the Permanent Chairman of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) the Sultan is the permanent leader of all traditional rulers in all 36 States of Nigeria & Abuja. By the way, the current Sultan was the Brigadier-General Commanding 241 Recce Battalion Kaduna. Many public policies are determined only with the tacit approval of the Sultanate of Sokoto and the Emirates. For instance, when the Gender Bill was introduced in the National Assembly, the Sultan 'killed' the Bill simply by criticizing it publicly. Even Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (the world's most revered monarch) would never criticize Parliament publicly, because that would be an abuse of royal privilege. 5. THE ADMINISTRATIVE YOKE: Nigeria is the only African country that built a new capital from scratch (using resources from the oppressed, deprived and degraded Niger Delta/South East ). The Cabal claimed that the location of Lagos by the ocean was a security risk, but this was just an excuse to Northernize national public service. A careful look at the map of Africa shows that only 2 nations have central capitals. The most common location for African capitals is at the coast. London (United Kingdom) is situated at the edge of England on the River Thames. Washington DC (USA) is located along the Potomac River on the East Coast of USA. Paris (France) is located at the edge of France in the north-bending arc of the river Seine. When Lagos was capital the Governors of Lagos State were from East, West and North. Since the Capital moved to Abuja, NO Nigerian leader has ever had the guts to appoint a Southerner as substantive FCT Minister. The FCT Minister must be a Northerner, preferably a Muslim (the current FCT Minister was appointed while he was Executive Secretary of the Hajj Commission). 6. THE DIPLOMATIC YOKE: Any Christian leader who questions Nigeria's membership of the two main international Sharia-driven bodies (OIC & D-8) faces the wrath of the Hausa-Fulani Cabal. So far, only Cdr Ebitu Ukiwe has ever had the guts to seriously question Nigeria's involvement in these Islamic bodies and as a result Ukiwe was summarily dismissed from office. 7. THE MILITARY/SECURITY YOKE: Nigeria is the only Federation in the world where all MAJOR security agencies are headed by only one section of the Federation and only members of one faith. Army – Northern Muslim. National Security Advisor – Northern Muslim. Minister of Defence – Northern Muslim. Minister of InternalAffairs- Northern Muslim. Airforce –@ Northern Muslim. Police – Northern Muslim. Economic Financial Crimes Commission- Northern Muslim. National Civil Defence Corps – Northern Muslim. Department of State Security – Northern Muslim. Immigration– Northern Muslim. Prisons Service– Northern Muslim. Federal Road Safety Corps – Northern Muslim. Nigerian Customs Service – Northern Muslim. Chief of Defence Intelligence – Northern Muslim. Director of Military Intelligence - Northern Muslim. Fire Service – Northern Muslim. National Emergency Management Agency – Northern Muslim. Nigerian Ports Authority- Northern Muslim. No southerner has been made substantive Comptroller General of Customs in 30 years. Even with all his braggadocio, Olusegun Obasanjo dared not break the jinx in all this years as Nigeria's President. Again no southerner has ever been appointed as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission since the day it was established in 2003. Make Real Money This Year Finally the only southerner that was EVER appointed National Security Advisor was killed after he was unceremoniously removed from office by Goodluck Jonathan after the cabal blackmailed and arm-twisted him and told him that if he wanted peace he must appoint a northerner back to that post. The above multi-faceted enslavement to the Hausa-Fulani Cabal is not an accident. Read the book by Harold Wilson which clearly states how and why the British laid the foundation for the Hausa-Fulani hegemony in Nigeria. The principle guiding the Cabal was clearly set forth by the cabal's patron saint, Sir Ahmadu Bello who said to the media: "The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate of our great grandfather Othman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the minorities in the north as willing tools and the south as a conquered territory and NEVER ALLOW THEM TO RULE OVER US and NEVER ALLOW THEM TO HAVE CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN FUTURE." – (The Parrot Newspaper, October 12, 1960). Freedom from the Cabal is NOT about "North versus South". In fact, the greatest victims of the Northern cabal are the Northern masses themselves. The struggle entails "Northern Cabal versus All of Lovers of Freedom". Nigeria is structurally unworkable and MUST EITHER BE RESTRUCTURED OR BROKEN. The Hausa-Fulani cabal will resist this with their blood, but there is no other way out of the enslavement for us and our children. We cannot continue 'suffering and smiling' in this un-restructured zoo called Nigeria. The words of Harriet Tubman are relevant here. She said, 'I freed a thousand slaves: I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves' ". The author of this brilliant intervention has given us plenty of food for thought. He argued the matter in a detailed, succinct and concise manner and he stated the case very well. Though there were one or two omissions, his research is outstanding and his analysis is factual, insightful and incisive. The truth is that he has said it all. Sadly many in Nigeria do not know that they are slaves to the cabal because they cannot feel the yoke or see their chains. Yet slaves they are and it is time that we opened their eyes, broke their yokes, cut their chains and free each and every one of them. That is precisely why yours truly, and millions of others, insist on restructuring our country or, failing that, dividing her and going our separate ways. May God help us! See what Omololu Olunloyo told Awolowo decades ago Read the full article

[chrisciovacco]

How Was The Collective Mood As Stocks Started A 19-Year Secular Bull Run In 1982?

Stocks Must Overcome 2017 Gloom

Even with the backdrop of numerous positive technical developments, it may be difficult to envision the stock market moving higher given skepticism has been lingering for several years. The tone of reporting from this week’s World Economic Forum has had a decidedly pessimistic slant. From the International Business Times:

DAVOS, Switzerland — Despite the usual trappings of revelry here in the Swiss Alps at the World Economic Forum, an unfamiliar mood grips the proceedings: gloom. World leaders and people in charge of money are nursing angst over the potentially perilous state of the global economy. They confront an overwhelming array of crises all at once — China’s economic slowdown, the collapse of energy prices, plunging stock markets, confusion over monetary policy, conflict in the Middle East, an attendant surge of refugees into Europe, and the ever-present threat of terrorist attacks.

What Can We Learn From History?

In this article, we will examine one question and one question only:

Is it possible for stocks to successfully hold a breakout from a long-term consolidation pattern when the social mood and news of the day have a pessimistic slant?

How Was The Mood Back In 1982?

If you followed the news back in 1982, it would have been difficult to imagine the S&P 500 had already started what eventually became an 18-year secular rise. As you scan the bullet points below from the Wikipedia 1982 page, try to imagine the physiological impact of weekly headlines that included wars, bankruptcies, plane crashes, high unemployment, geopolitical strife, a debt crisis, and acts of terror:

Unemployment in the United Kingdom increases by 129,918 to 3,070,621, a post-war record number.

Mark Thatcher, son of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, disappears in the Sahara during the Dakar Rally; he is rescued January 14.

Shortly after takeoff, Air Florida Flight 90 crashes into Washington, D.C.’s 14th Street Bridge and falls into the Potomac River, killing 78. On the same day, a Washington Metro train derails to the north, killing 3 (the system’s first fatal accident).

Four Northrop T-38 aircraft of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds Demonstration Squadron crash at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nevada, killing all 4 pilots.

The first computer virus, the Elk Cloner, written by 15-year old Rich Skrenta, is found. It infects Apple II computers via floppy disk.

The Hama massacre begins in Syria.

Syrian president Hafez al-Assad orders the army to purge the city of Harran of the Muslim Brotherhood.

London-based Laker Airways collapses, leaving 6,000 stranded passengers and debts of $270 million.

Japan Airlines Flight 350 crashes in Tokyo Bay due to thrust reversal on approach to Tokyo International Airport, killing 24 among the 174 people on board.

The oil platform Ocean Ranger sinks during a storm off the coast of Newfoundland, killing all 84 rig workers aboard.

The DeLorean Motor Company Car Factory in Belfast is put into receivership.

Atlanta murders of 1979–81: Wayne Williams is convicted of murdering 2 adult men and is sentenced to two consecutive life terms.

The United States places an embargo on Libyan oil imports, alleging Libyan support for terrorist groups.

In Newport, Rhode Island, Claus von Bülow is found guilty of the attempted murder of his wife.

The Falklands War begins: Argentina invades and occupies the Falkland Islands.

A blizzard unprecedented in size for April dumps 1–2 feet of snow on the northeastern United States, closing schools and businesses, and snarling traffic.

British troops retake South Georgia during Operation Paraquet.

The nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano, killing 323 sailors. Operation Algeciras, an attempt to destroy a Royal Navy warship in Gibraltar, fails.

HMS Sheffield is hit by an Exocet missile, and burns out of control; 20 sailors are killed. The ship sinks on May 10.

A Unabomber bomb explodes in the computer science department at Vanderbilt University; secretary Janet Smith is injured.

French-Canadian racing driver Gilles Villeneuve is killed during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Spanish priest Juan María Fernández y Krohn tries to stab Pope John Paul II with a bayonet during the latter’s pilgrimage to the shrine at Fátima.

Braniff International Airways is declared bankrupt and ceases all flights.

The British Special Air Service launches an operation to destroy three Argentinean Exocet missiles and five Super Étendard fighter-bombers in mainland Argentina. It fails when the Argentineans discover the plot.

British landings spark the Battle of San Carlos.

HMS Ardent is sunk by Argentine aircraft, killing 22 sailors.

HMS Antelope is lost.

Iranian troops retake Khorramshahr.

KGB head Yuri Andropov is appointed to the Secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

British ships HMS Coventry and SS Atlantic Conveyor are sunk during the Falklands War; Coventry by two A-4C Skyhawks and the latter sunk by an Exocet.

The 1982 Lebanon War begins: Forces under Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon invade southern Lebanon in their “Operation Peace for the Galilee,” eventually reaching as far north as the capital Beirut.

The United Nations Security Council votes to demand that Israel withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

British ship RFA Sir Galahad is destroyed during the Bluff Cove Air Attacks.

VASP Flight 168, a Boeing 727 passenger jet, crashes into forest Fortaleza, killing 137.

The Nuclear Disarmament Rally, an event against nuclear weapon proliferation, draws 750,000 to New York City’s Central Park.

The body of “God’s Banker”, Roberto Calvi, chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, is found hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London.

British Airways Flight 9 suffers a temporary four-engine flameout and damage to the exterior of the plane, after flying through the otherwise undetected ash plume from Indonesia’s Mount Galunggung.

ASLEF train drivers in the United Kingdom go on strike over hours of work.

Four Iranian diplomats are kidnapped upon Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

Pan Am Flight 759 (Boeing 727) crashes in Kenner, Louisiana, killing all 146 on board and 8 on the ground.

Intruder Michael Fagan breaches Buckingham Palace security as far as into the bedroom of Elizabeth II.

Checker Motors Corporation ceases production of automobiles.

Geoffrey Prime, a GCHQ civil servant, is remanded in custody on charges under the Official Secrets Act 1911.

In New York City, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon is sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $25,000 for tax fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

William Whitelaw, Home Secretary, announces that Michael Trestrail (the Queen’s bodyguard) has resigned from the Metropolitan Police Service over a relationship with a male prostitute.

Hyde Park and Regent’s Park bombings: the Provisional IRA detonates 2 bombs in central London, killing 8 soldiers, wounding 47 people, and leading to the deaths of 7 horses.

A coroner’s jury returns a verdict of suicide on Roberto Calvi, who was found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge.

Torrential rain and mudslides in Nagasaki, Japan destroy bridges and kill 299.

On a movie set, the Twilight Zone actor Vic Morrow and 2 child actors die in a helicopter stunt accident.

In Beaune, France, 53 persons, 46 of them children, die in a highway accident (France’s worst).

Attempted coup against government of Daniel Arap Moi in Kenya.

The United Nations Security Council votes to censure Israel because its troops are still in Lebanon.

Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Spadolini resigns.

Mexico announces it is unable to pay its large foreign debt, triggering a debt crisis that quickly spreads throughout Latin America.

Lebanese Civil War: A multinational force lands in Beirut to oversee the PLO withdrawal from Lebanon. French troops arrive August 21, U.S. Marines August 25.

Italian general Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa is killed in a Mafia ambush.

Iowa paperboy Johnny Gosch is kidnapped.

Lebanese President-elect Bachir Gemayel is assassinated in Beirut.

A Lebanese Christian militia (the Phalange) kill thousands of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in West Beirut, the massacre is a response to the assassination of president-elect, Bachir Gemayel four days earlier.

The NFL Players Association calls a strike, the first in-season work stoppage in the National Football League’s 63-year history.

The Wimpy Operation, first act of armed resistance against Israeli troops in Beirut.

In Israel, 400,000 marchers demand the resignation of Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

The Chicago Tylenol murders occur when 7 people in the Chicago area die after ingesting capsules laced with potassium cyanide.

Helmut Kohl replaces Helmut Schmidt as Chancellor of Germany through a constructive vote of no confidence.

John DeLorean is arrested for selling cocaine to undercover FBI agents.

Luzhniki disaster: During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem, 66 people are crushed to death.

A gasoline or petrol tanker explodes in the Salang Tunnel in Afghanistan, killing at least 176 people.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surges 43.41 points, or 4.25%, to close at 1,065.49, its first all-time high in more than 9 years. It last hit a record on January 11, 1973, when the average closed at 1,051.70. The points gain is the biggest ever up to this point.

In Lebanon, the first Tyre headquarters bombing kills between 89 and 102 people.

The Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day fire destroys an entire city block of downtown Minneapolis, including the headquarters of Northwestern National Bank.

The first U.S. execution by lethal injection is carried out in Texas.

The December murders occur in Suriname.

The 6.0 Ms North Yemen earthquake shakes southwestern Yemen with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), killing 2,800.

The United Freedom Front bombs an office of South African Airways in Elmont, NY and an IBM office in Harrison, NY.

Why 1982?

From Yahoo Finance:

In the last 81 years, there have been only two “outside years” before 2016: 1935 and 1982. Both of these years were followed by the S&P enjoying double-digit gains — +28% in 1936, and +17% in 1983 — which potentially sets the table for a monster rally into 2017.

There are several technical occurrences in the present day that are similar to the early 1980s. For example, the S&P 500 broke out of a consolidation box in 1982 by exceeding the high that was made nine years earlier in 1973. In 2013, the S&P 500 exceeded the highs from both 2000 and 2007, which represents a significant long-term breakout for equities. 2016 also represented a very rare “outside year”, an event that last occurred in 1982. The concept of an outside year was covered in detail on December 30.

More Recent History Also Features Consolidation

The concept of consolidation followed by a breakout or breakdown applies to all timeframes. The chart above shows a consolidation box that was in play between 1997 and 2013. A more recent view of the S&P 500 also features a consolidation box that dates back to 2014 on a monthly chart. Stocks are currently holding onto a bullish breakout from the 2014-2016 consolidation box.

How Vulnerable Is The 2017 Market?

This week’s stock market video looks at the longer-term health of the current rally in stocks. Are longer-term cracks starting to appear?

After you click play, use the button in the lower-right corner of the video player to view in full-screen mode. Hit Esc to exit full-screen mode.

The Broad Market Has Been Consolidating For 19 Years

Similar to the multiple-year consolidation that preceded the 1982 breakout in stocks, the present day market also features a consolidation box that started forming back in 1997. As of this writing, the NYSE Composite Stock Index is holding above the orange consolidation box shown below.

The View From 30,000 Feet

If we double back to the first chart in this article, it is easier to see how the concept of consolidation and breakouts may apply to 2017 and beyond. There were plenty of reasons to be pessimistic in 1982, and yet stocks were able to advance after breaking out.

2017 Is Significantly Different From 1982

Our purpose is not to say 2017 is 1982. In fact, 2017 is a unique year that will be different from every other year in human history. The same can be said for every year; they all follow a different fundamental and technical script.

History reminds us that the recent bullish breakouts from long-term stock market consolidation patterns do not necessarily need to be coupled with widespread optimism for stocks to advance over the next several years. Almost no one was expecting an 18-year secular bull run in stocks given the news of the day in 1982, and yet, that is exactly what happened.

Before a lot of energy is wasted on the differences between 1982 and 2017, keep in mind our purpose was to examine one question and one question only:

Is it possible for stocks to successfully hold a breakout from a long-term consolidation pattern when the social mood and news of the day have a pessimistic slant?

Notice the term “possible” is used above, meaning all bearish scenarios also remain in the realm of possibility. This exercise helps us remain open to all outcomes, not just the pessimistic outcomes often covered in the media. Time will tell.

[ladystylestores]

Watchdog was investigating Pompeo for arms deal and staff misuse before firing

Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

The government watchdog who was fired last week had been investigating the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, for sidestepping Congress to approve arms sales to the Gulf and using staffers for personal errands, according to congressional sources.

Donald Trump declared his intention to fire the state department inspector general, Steve Linick, in a letter sent to the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, late on Friday night. The White House said the decision was taken at Pompeo’s advice.

Related: Steve Linick: State Department official investigating Pompeo is fired

Congress has 30 days to investigate the decision, but the Senate has so far declined to intervene in a string of dismissals of officials in watchdog roles, as Trump has steadily dismantled the machinery of government oversight.

According to Democratic congressional aides, Linick had nearly completed an investigation into a highly controversial decision by Trump and Pompeo last May to approve $8bn in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates without consulting Congress, on the grounds that the regional threat posed by Iran constituted a national emergency.

Congress had sought to curb the weapons sales in the wake of the Saudi killing of the Washington Post columnist and dissident Jamal Kashoggi and high civilian casualties from Saudi bomb strikes in Yemen.

The congressional aides said Linick had also been looking into allegations that a political appointee at the state department was being employed to run menial errands for Pompeo and his wife, Susan. The chores included walking the family dog, picking up dry cleaning and making dinner reservations.

The details of the errands were first published by NBC News and the investigation into the Saudi arms sales was first reported by the Washington Post on Monday.

“[Linick’s] office was investigating – at my request – Trump’s phony declaration of an emergency so he could send weapons to Saudi Arabia,” Eliot Engel, the Democratic chair of the House foreign affairs committee said in a written statement.

Story continues

“We don’t have the full picture yet, but it’s troubling that Secretary Pompeo wanted Mr Linick pushed out before this work could be completed.”

The state department did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations.

Engel and the lead Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, Bob Menendez, launched an investigation on Saturday into Linick’s firing.

“Reports indicate that Secretary Pompeo personally made the recommendation to fire Mr Linick, and it is our understanding that he did so because the Inspector General had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself,” Engel and Menendez said in a joint statement. “Such an action, transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability, would undermine the foundation of our democratic institutions and may be an illegal act of retaliation.”

Engel called for all relevant state department records to be turned over to Congress by Friday.

Pompeo has been under scrutiny for his behaviour in office for several months. Last July, congressional Democrats launched an inquiry into the use of diplomatic security agents to run family errands like collecting the family dog from the grooming salon and picking up Chinese food. CNN reported the bodyguards were complaining of being treated like “UberEats with guns”.

The head of the diplomatic security service at the time denied the agents had been asked to do anything “inconsistent with our professional obligation to protect the Secretary 24-hours a day, 7-days a week”. Congress eventually dropped the investigation.

There has also been longstanding controversy over the Pompeos’ use of government housing normally assigned to senior military officers, on Potomac Hill opposite state department headquarters. His predecessors, and traditionally almost all non-uniformed government employees, have been responsible for their own housing in Washington.

A state department spokeswoman at the time insisted that Pompeo was paying an (unspecified) fair market rent for the government house and that he was saving taxpayers money in security costs.

The Pompeos also used their name and reputation to sell their house in Kansas in 2017, after several years on the market, when Pompeo became director of central intelligence. The estate agent’s advertisement included a quote from Susan Pompeo about how much they had loved the house, and the firm later said in a publicity brochure that it had faced the “challenge of rekindling interest in a property that had limited interest while on and off the traditional market since 2011”.

“Our campaign release followed shortly after Mike Pompeo was confirmed as director of the CIA – capitalizing on the media coverage and human interest of the event,” the brochure said.

Government ethics rules forbid the use of government position as a means of deriving financial benefit.

The role of Susan Pompeo has also drawn attention as she has accompanied the secretary of state on several foreign trips, and is reported to be drawing on state department resources like staffers’ time and official cars while on those trips.

“I have friends who have been at meetings called by Mrs Pompeo about trips, about plans and what she wants to have her agenda on the trip which is not supposed to happen,” said Brett Bruen, a former diplomat and White House director of global engagement

“You’re not allowed as a non-government official to take government resources for your own agenda.

“The culture that Pompeo has created at the state department is a mix of fear as well as self-serving policies where his wife is on the plane, and she is in charge of trips and meetings,” Bruen said.

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from World Wide News https://ift.tt/2WIJh9e

[kansascityhappenings]

New burial rules seek to extend Arlington Cemetery lifespan

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — In an effort to save dwindling space, the Army is proposing new rules to limit who can be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Under the current rules, the cemetery would run out of space by the mid-2050s, the Army says. The proposed restrictions would preserve the cemetery’s lifespan for another 150 years.

“Arlington National Cemetery is a national shrine for all Americans, but especially those who have served our great nation,” Acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy said in a statement. “We must ensure it can honor those we have lost for many years to come.”

Under the proposals, veterans who retired from active duty and were eligible for retirement pay would no longer be automatically eligible for in-ground burial. They would be eligible, though, for above-ground “inurnment” of cremated remains.

Those who were killed in action or received awards such as the Purple Heart or Silver Star could still receive an in-ground burial. U.S. presidents and vice presidents also would retain eligibility.

The proposed rules will now be subjected to the federal rulemaking process and published in the Federal Register, which allows the public to submit comments. If the public comments prompt no revisions, the new rules could take effect in about nine months.

The cemetery, which is managed by the Army, has already conducted extensive public outreach to collect feedback on how it should shepherd its existing space. More than 250,000 people responded to a survey by the cemetery, and officials say roughly three-quarters of respondents favored restricting eligibility for burial in some way to preserve the cemetery’s lifespan.

The cemetery’s founding dates to the Civil War, when Union soldiers commandeered the estate of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee overlooking the Potomac River and the nation’s capital to bury the war dead.

More than 400,000 people are buried in the cemetery, and only 95,000 burial spaces remain, though a planned expansion will add 37 acres (15 hectares) of burial space and more than 10 years of life to the cemetery under the existing rules.

Even with the expansion, though, the cemetery faces a severe capacity problem in coming decades. Under the current rules, nearly all of the 22 million living armed forces members and veterans are eligible for burial at Arlington, the Army said.

The proposed new rules restrict in-ground burial to those killed in action, award recipients of the Silver Star and higher who also served in combat, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, presidents and vice presidents of the U.S., and those who died in combat-related service deaths while conducting uniquely military activities. Exceptions can also be made for veterans with combat service who “also served out of uniform as a government official and made significant contributions to the nation’s security at the highest levels of public service.”

Eligibility for those opting to be cremated is broader.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/09/25/new-burial-rules-seek-to-extend-arlington-cemetery-lifespan/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/09/25/new-burial-rules-seek-to-extend-arlington-cemetery-lifespan/

[hviral]

Hurricane Dorian Pounds Georgia As It Moves To Carolinas

Powerful Hurricane Dorian whipped the Georgia coast Thursday as it grew in size and strength, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people while flooding parts of downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Dorian on its way north, threatening to become the first Category 3 storm since Fran in 1996 to make landfall in North Carolina and watches were issued as far north as Delaware and Massachusetts.

Tornado watches and warnings were issued in many parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.

Tropical-storm-force winds were close to 70 mph Thursday morning in Georgia and South Carolina, with hurricane-force winds expected for coastal South Carolina later in the day. Tropical-storm and hurricane conditions are forecast for coastal North Carolina late Thursday.

Residents in Charleston and the entire South Carolina coast were warned to expect the worst to come, with water levels that could near 10 feet.

“Large areas of deep inundation with storm surge flooding accentuated by battering waves. Structural damage to buildings, with several washing away,” the center wrote in its 7 a.m. update. “Damage compounded by floating debris. Locations may be uninhabitable for an extended period.”

The torrential rains were expected along the winds further up the coast. North Carolina’s Outer Banks could get hit with up to 15 inches of rain and coastal Virginia communities such as Hampton Roads could see a storm surge of two to four feet, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Though weakened from the powerhouse category 5 storm that devastated the Bahamas and expected to move toward the northeast, hurricane paths are notoriously difficult to predict, and the Category 3 storm remains a threat to areas as far north as Cape Cod.

Storm surge warnings extended north to Poquoson, Virginia, and a tropical storm warning was put in effect from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Chincoteague, Virginia, and Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point southward.

Nearly two dozen Georgia counties are under emergency declarations, and the state is expected to see the brunt of Dorian’s wrath well into Thursday.

By noon Wednesday, emergency management officials were already receiving reports of downed trees and as Dorian bore down on Georgia.

“Downed trees may mean downed power lines, which are life-threatening,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted. “Be extremely careful.”

Related Coverage Hurricane Dorian Still Stalled, Many Florida Schools Closed Hurricane Dorian Puts More Georgia Counties Under State Emergency Hurricane Dorian: SC Flooding, Evacuations, Airport Closure North Carolina Ordering Mandatory Evacuations In Barrier Islands Better Business Bureau Warns Of Hurricane Dorian Scams

Destructive storm surges of between three and five feet are forecast, according to current models from the National Hurricane Center.

“This storm is a big one, with powerful winds and expected storm surges of 3 to 6 feet,” Kemp warned ahead of the storm, urging residents of his state to take Hurricane Dorian’s threat seriously. “This is a huge storm we’re facing.”

Dorian is moving northward, raising the threat in areas in its path. The storm could make landfall along the coastline of the Carolinas late Thursday and bring widespread devastation, the National Hurricane Center warned.

Eastern North Carolina could begin to see some of the impacts, such as increased rain and winds, as soon as Thursday afternoon.

“Now is the time to make final emergency preparations before the storm’s onset,” the agency said.

The threat of heavy rainfall over eastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina prompted a flash-flooding warning for the regions now in effect.

“A high risk exists across portions of the coastal Carolinas, with widespread and significant flooding expected tonight through Friday,” the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said.

Rainfall over Charleston could bring water levels high enough to rank among the top five ever in the coastal city, The Washington Post reported.

Streets were already beginning to flood Wednesday afternoon in Charleston, which is barely above sea level and has a long history of susceptibility to floods, as the city is flat.

Huge numbers of people were fleeing the city, heeding the advice of Gov. Henry McMaster, who has been warning residents of Charleston and other low-lying coastal areas of South Carolina to get out ahead of high winds and life-threatening storm surges.

Florida Returning To Normal

Before Dorian left Florida, residents along the coast dealt with high winds and angry seas, but hurricane warnings and watches and storm surge alerts remained in effect from Daytona Beach to Jacksonville.

“Remain cautious of strong wind gusts and brief bursts of heavy rain in passing squalls today,” the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Florida, tweeted Wednesday morning. “Conditions at beaches are hazardous from #Dorian. The surf remains high and rough, along with a threat of coastal flooding & beach erosion.”

Relieved Floridians were returning to normal Thursday, though many schools remained closed. Several airports reopened, with Orlando International Airport, Palm Beach International Airport, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Melbourne International Airport all resuming normal flight operations. More than 800 flights flights had been canceled this week.

Walt Disney World also reopened Wednesday.

While Walt Disney World prides itself on being open 365 days a year, officials opted to close early Tuesday while Dorian’s path remained uncertain. It’s not the first time the park was forced to close. Two years ago, Hurricane Irma caused Walt Disney World to close for two full days and caused some damage around the resort. The year before that, Hurricane Matthew also caused the parks to close for a day.

To assist those forced to evacuate their homes, Airbnb activated its Open Homes Program to help displaced residents and relief workers deployed to the southeast region impacted by Hurricane Dorian.

The Open Homes program for Hurricane Dorian was first activated on Aug. 28 to assist those in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the new activation area on the U.S. mainland includes the majority of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and parts of Alabama.

‘Apocalyptic’ Damage In The Bahamas

Dorian was packing category 5 winds when it hit the Bahamas, making it “perhaps the worst hurricane ever” to have struck the islands Michael Scott, the chairman of the government-owned Grand Lucayan Resort and Casino on Grand Bahama Island, told The New York Times. The resort was operating as a shelter because many designated shelters were damaged.

As the winds and rain subsided in the Bahamas, rescue crews fanned out to take a full measure of the devastation from the worst hurricane ever recorded in the country mauled Grand Bahama and Abaco islands.

The death toll stood at seven, but was almost certain to rise. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said the country is “in the the midst of one of the greatest national crises” in its history.

“Right now there are just a lot of unknowns,” Parliament member Iram Lewis told The Associated Press. “We need help.”

“The devastation is unlike anything that we’ve ever seen before,”National Security Minister Marvin Dames said. “We’re beginning to get on the ground, get our people in the right places. We have a lot of work in the days and weeks and months ahead.”

Lia Head-Rigby, who helps run a Red Cross hurricane relief group, told The AP the scene from the air as she flew over was “apocalyptic.”

“It’s total devastation. It’s decimated,” she said. “It’s not rebuilding something that was there; we have to start again.”

-Charity Scam Warnings

Scams could spike along with the storm surge, the Better Business Bureau’s charity arm, Give.org, warned. In past weather disasters, the organization has seen crowdfunding posts from people claiming they’re raising money to deliver and distribute water, food and flashlights to the affected areas.

“Even if they are sincere, such efforts may risk lives, complicate access by professional efforts and potentially divert donations that could be directed in more helpful ways,” Art Taylor, Give.org’s president and CEO, said. “Donors should watch out for newly created organizations that emerge that are either inexperienced in addressing disasters or may be seeking to deceive donors at a vulnerable time.”

From the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. update:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:

-Savannah River to Poquoson VA -Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds -Neuse and Pamlico Rivers -Hampton Roads -A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:

-avannah River to the North Carolina/Virginia border Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

-North Carolina/Virginia border to Chincoteague VA -Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point southward A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

-North of Chincoteague VA to Fenwick Island DE Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Drum Point

-Tidal Potomac south of Cobb Island -Woods Hole to Sagamore Beach MA -Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard MA -The Associated Press contributed reporting.

The post Hurricane Dorian Pounds Georgia As It Moves To Carolinas appeared first on HviRAL.

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[tessyinfohub-blog]

Why Atiku Avoided America For More Than 10 Years

Why Atiku Avoided America For More Than 10 Years For more than 13 years, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria and now presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, kept away from the United States. Once, the US even turned down his request for a visa. But on Thursday, he landed in Washington DC for talks with some American officials on his campaign in Nigeria. His visit, said to have been facilitated by his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo and other lobbyists, threw up questions as to why he had avoided America in the first place. What is known is that nine years ago, there was a US Senate Committee report detailing money laundering activities against him, including being a recipient of a bribe by Siemens. The Committee known as the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was chaired by Senator Carl Levin. The probe was motivated by US government concern about corruption in the Third World and its corrosive effects on the development of honest government, democratic principles, and the rule of law. “It is also blamed for distorting markets, deterring investment, deepening poverty, undermining international aid efforts, and fostering crime. Some have drawn connections between corruption, failed states, and terrorism. Corruption also continues to be a massive problem. The World Bank has estimated that $1 trillion in bribes alone exchange hands worldwide each year,” the committee noted in its bulky report. Abubakar was not the only foreign Politically Exposed Person(PEP) probed by the committee. He had company in Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, now the 48-year-old son of Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mbasogo, the President of Equatorial Guinea (EG), late President of Gabon, Omar Bongo and three Angolan PEP accounts, involving an Angolan arms dealer, an Angolan government official, and a small Angolan private bank. The committee submitted its report on 4 February 2010, three years after Abubakar left office as Nigeria’s vice president. The report unveiled violations of US laws by Abubakar and his fourth wife, Jennifer Douglas. It also included revelations about Siemens bribe paid into one of the accounts, and it possibly provided the basis for Abubakar being barred from entering the United States, since then. This Report examines how politically powerful foreign officials, their relatives, and close associates – referred to in international agreements as Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) – have used the services of U.S. professionals and financial institutions to bring large amounts of suspect funds into the United States to advance their interests. Using four case histories, this Report shows how some PEPs have used U.S. lawyers, real estate and escrow agents, lobbyists, bankers, and even university officials, to circumvent U.S. anti-money laundering and anti- corruption safeguards. This Report also offers recommendations to stop the abuses. Here is a summary of the report:  Abubakar Case History. From 2000 to 2008, Jennifer Douglas, a U.S. citizen and the fourth wife of Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and former candidate for President of Nigeria, helped her husband bring over $40 million in suspect funds into the United States through wire transfers sent by offshore corporations to U.S. bank accounts. In a 2008 civil complaint, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that Ms. Douglas received over $2 million in bribe payments in 2001 and 2002, from Siemens AG, a major German corporation. While Ms. Douglas denies wrongdoing, Siemens has already pleaded guilty to U.S. criminal charges and settled civil charges related to bribery and told the Subcommittee that it sent the payments to one of her U.S. accounts. In 2007, Mr. Abubakar was the subject of corruption allegations in Nigeria related to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund. Of the $40 million in suspect funds, $25 million was wire transferred by offshore corporations into more than 30 U.S. bank accounts opened by Ms. Douglas, primarily by Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Ltd., LetsGo Ltd. Inc., and Sima Holding Ltd. The U.S. banks maintaining those accounts were, at times, unaware of her PEP status, and they allowed multiple, large offshore wire transfers into her accounts. As each bank began to question the offshore wire transfers, Ms. Douglas indicated that all of the funds came from her husband and professed little familiarity with the offshore corporations actually sending her money. When one bank closed her account due to the offshore wire transfers, her lawyer helped convince other banks to provide a new account. In addition, two of the offshore corporations wire transferred about $14 million over five years to American University in Washington, D.C., to pay for consulting services related to the development of a Nigerian university founded by Mr. Abubakar. American University accepted the wire transfers without asking about the identity of the offshore corporations or the source of their funds, because under current law, the University had no legal obligation to inquire. Executive Summary Combating corruption is a key U.S. value and goal, due to its corrosive effects on the rule of law, economic development, and democratic principles. In 2001, the Patriot Act made the acceptance of foreign corruption proceeds a U.S. money laundering offence for the first time, and required banks to apply enhanced scrutiny to private banking accounts opened for senior foreign political figures, their relatives, and close associates. In 2003, the United States supported the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, now ratified by over 140 countries. Also in 2003, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) formed an investigative group dedicated to combating foreign corruption by PEPs. In 2004, President Bush issued Presidential Proclamation 7750 denying U.S. visas to foreign officials involved with corruption, and Congress later enacted supporting legislation. A 2009 study sponsored by the World Bank analyzed PEP controls worldwide and recommended stronger measures to reduce corruption. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Subcommittee) initiated this investigation to learn how U.S. laws apply to PEPs utilizing the domestic financial system, and examine how foreign senior political figures, their relatives, and close associates may be circumventing or undermining anti-money laundering (AML) and PEP controls to bring funds that may be the product of foreign corruption into the United States. It is the latest in a series of Subcommittee hearings examining foreign corruption and its U.S. aiders and abettors. During the course of its investigation, the Subcommittee staff conducted over 100 interviews, including interviews of lawyers, real estate agents, escrow agents, lobbyists, bankers, university professionals, and government officials. The Subcommittee issued over 50 subpoenas and reviewed millions of pages of documents, including bank records, correspondence, contracts, emails, property records, flight records, news articles, and court pleadings. In addition, the Subcommittee consulted with foreign officials, international organisations, financial regulators, and experts in anti-money laundering and anti-corruption efforts. Read the full report here:  FOREIGNCORRUPTIONREPORTFINAL710 In addition, there was the case of Congressman William Jefferson who was jailed for accepting a bribe from a would-be Nigerian investor, Lori Mody, who was wearing a wire. Jefferson told the investor that he would need to give then Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar $500,000 “as a motivating factor” to make sure the company obtained contracts for iGate and Mody’s company in Nigeria. The case put Atiku in bad spotlight, with his mansion in Potomac, Maryland searched by the FBI in 2005. But there was nothing incriminating found in the house. About 12 years after the raid, Atiku sold the property. -NAN Read the full article

[trueconservatives]

Presidential aides declared it too wet for the president to attend a memorial event at a war cemetery in Belleau, the site of a battle that killed 2,000 US marines. The ceremony also marked the Marine Corps 243rd birthday, and Trump’s retreat to a Parisian hotel in the face of drizzle led to an eruption of derision from former officers as well as the usual critics back home. The French army rubbed salt in the wounds by trolling Trump on social media with a picture of a soldier on a soggy assault course, noting: “It’s raining, but it’s no big deal. We stay motivated.” Trump ramps up Macron spat by mocking France in world wars Read more All of this hits Trump in a weak spot. He avoided military service during Vietnam, and his claims of monolithic support among the armed forces ring less true with each passing month. Polls show that his popularity among the troops has declined sharply since he was elected. On Tuesday he tried some damage limitation, insisting on Twitter there had been “almost zero visibility”, and he had unsuccessfully tried to persuade his security staff to go by road. Those claims were weakened by the fact that other dignitaries managed to reach their destinations on Saturday, and that, on his return to Washington, Trump ducked out of the traditional Veteran’s Day appearance at Arlington National Cemetery, directly across the Potomac river from the White House.

[brittanyghickey]

Caron Treatment Centers Names New Officers, Welcomes Four New Board Members

Caron Treatment Centers, a leader and nationally recognized not-for-profit provider of addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment, welcomed new members and officers to its Board of Trustees today, following their election at last month’s annual meeting. The following individuals will serve as officers for the 2017-2018 term of service: Chair: Steven R. Wall Steve Wall, managing partner of the Philadelphia-based Morgan Lewis, provides strategic and litigation advice to emplooyers on issues involving labor management relations and employment law. He works with clients to manage and resolve matters involving union corporate campaigns, high-profile employment litigation, and workforce change, including labor and employment issues involving new businesses, acquisitions, and divestitures. Wall also counsels both Boards of Directors and C-level executives on employment agreements and compensation for senior executives.  For the past 12 years, he has been named one of the leading US lawyers for employment law by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Vice Chair: Curt Moffatt Curt Moffatt is currently Deputy General Counsel and Vice President – Gas Group Legal at Kinder Morgan, Inc., one of the nation’s largest energy transportation companies.  He holds a degree from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Moffatt was the Chairman of the D.C .Area Advisory Board for the Caron Treatment Centers and has been on the Caron Board of Trustees since 2013.  He lives in Potomac, Maryland with his family. Immediate Past Chair: Casey Duffy Casey Duffy is the President and General Managing Partner of Delaware Valley Remediation, a demolition and environmental clean-up firm serving Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic Region. He continues to serve on the Board and on various committees. He is an avid golfer and has strong life-long ties to the Philadelphia Eagles organization. Duffy and his family live in Malvern, PA. The following individuals will serve as new board members for a three-year term of service from 2017-2019: Andrea (“Andi”) Funk Andi Funk is the Chief Executive Officer of Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC (CLI), headquartered in Reading, PA. Funk has been a member of the executive management team and Board of Directors since December 2010, when she joined the company as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer with responsibility for finance, treasury, accounting, human resources, technology and purchasing.  From 2007 to 2010, she served as Director Operations Planning and Reporting for Carpenter Technology, Inc.  Prior to that, she served as Senior Director of Manufacturing Finance, Director of Global Business Development and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis with Arrow International from 2000 to 2007. Funk also worked as an auditor with Ernst & Young in Philadelphia, PA.      Funk sits on the Board of Directors, Audit Committee, and Finance Committee of Touchpoint, a privately held, diversified global growth company with over 3,400 employees, serving an excess of 80 thousand customers in nearly 100 countries throughout the world. She also serves on the Advisory Committee for Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and the R&D Committee of the Greater Reading Economic Partnership, as well as Alvernia University’s President’s Advisory Council, where she is also the University’s 2015/2016 Executive in Residence. Funk is active in her community, serving as Treasurer and Executive Committee member of the Berks County United Way, Board Member for the Wilson Education Foundation, and Financial Advisor to Reading Birth and Women’s Center.  She is also a member of Women Corporate Directors, and has served as a member of Caron’s Finance Committee.   Funk earned an masters degree in business administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 2001.  She earned her CPA in 1993 and has her undergraduate degree in Accounting with a minor in Sociology from Villanova University, received in 1991.  Douglas D. Hawthorne Douglas D. Hawthorne, FACHE, became Founding Chief Executive Officer Emeritus of Texas Health Resources on Sept. 1, 2014, upon stepping down as Chief Executive Officer. Texas Health, based in Arlington, is one of the nation’s largest faith-based, nonprofit health systems. Hawthorne earned his Bachelor of Science degree and his Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio. He served Presbyterian Healthcare Resources in many roles after joining the system in 1970, rising to President and CEO of Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas (now Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas) and of Presbyterian Healthcare Resources. In 1997, he became President and CEO of the newly formed Texas Health Resources. Hawthorne currently serves as the immediate past chair of the Trinity University Board of Trustees. He serves on the American Hospital Association’s President’s Forum, is a board member of LHP Hospital Group, Inc., and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Oklahoma Corporate Board (BOK).  He is a member of the University of Texas Health Care Advisory Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors of The State Fair of Texas. He is a Lifetime Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Known as a philanthropist and volunteer, Hawthorne and his wife Martha helped establish and fund a health clinic in Tanzania. Working with a team of health professionals and family members, the Hawthornes helped prepare the Open Arms clinic for its opening in June 2011. Over three days the team treated 358 patients. Geraldine (“Gerrie”) McManus Geraldine McManus provides investment advisory services at Granger Management, LLC in New York. Prior to this, McManus helped build Goldman Sachs’ Private Wealth Management business, focusing on ultra-high net worth individuals and family groups. In addition to developing and managing relationships for a select number of significant family groups, McManus advised on the development of the business model, along with several key functions including strategic and tactical asset allocation, access to external investment managers, and trust and estate advisory capabilities. In 2000, McManus moved to London to introduce and implement an international business plan. She returned to New York in 2002. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, McManus was at Merrill Lynch for six years where she was a Managing Director in the Yankee Debt Capital Markets Group. Her responsibilities included advising sovereigns, supranational and international corporations on global debt issuance and liability management. Before working at Merrill Lynch, McManus was at Salomon Brothers for six years, two years as an Associate in Corporate Finance and four years as a Product Specialist in the Hedge Management/Derivatives Group. McManus received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a masters degree in business administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She is on the Board of Trustees of the Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey. She is also on Cornell University’s Presidential Advisory Council. In 2008, McManus was honored to receive Cornell’s CALS school’s Outstanding Alumni award. McManus has served on Caron’s New York Advisory Board and Marketing Committee. Richard S. Roisman Richard Roisman is an experienced real estate lawyer at Cozen O’Conner in Philadelphia.  Prior to that, he was a partner at Klehr Harrison in Philadelphia for nearly 25 years, and most recently served in the Philadelphia office of McCarter & English. He has a strong background in all types of finance work and transactions/workouts involving secured and unsecured loans. Roisman earned his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, magna cum laude, where he was on the school’s law review. He received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from George Washington University. Roisman has served as Ex-Officio member of the Caron Board of Trustees, as well as the Chair of the Philadelphia Advisory Board. Richard also serves on the Treatment Committee, Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee, as well as the National Alumni Leadership Council.  “We are very excited to welcome these new members to Caron Treatment Centers’ Board of Trustees,” said Doug Tieman, President and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers. “Each of these individuals brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective.  We also welcome our new officers, and thank immediate past chair Casey Duffy for her outstanding service and leaderhip in helping to fulfill Caron’s mission.” For more information, visit www.caron.org or call 800-678-2332. Caron Treatment Centers Names New Officers, Welcomes Four New Board Members published first on https://www.caron.org

Caron Treatment Centers Names New Officers, Welcomes Four New Board Members published first on http://carondotorg.tumblr.com

[melindarowens]

David Stockman Blasts The “Derangement & Danger On The Potomac”

Authored by David Stockman via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity,

The horrific shooting spree on the practice field of the GOP's congressional baseball team was hardly the end of this week's madness on the Potomac.

As it happened, the former was apparently another random eruption by of one of America's sicko lone wolves — a wretch in the same league as South Carolina church killer, Dylann Roof. Notwithstanding that the latter had littered the nether regions of the internet with racist rantings while the former was apparently a prolific Never Trumper left-winger, neither represented a real threat to the nation's equanimity — even if they did bring a savage rain of violence to bear on those unfortunate dozens caught in their immediate line of fire. Not so for the 325 million American citizens who were pounded upon during the balance of the day by the allegedly "sane" Imperial City officialdom which rules the roost in America.

Specifically, we have in mind Janet Yellen's hideous presser in which she declared "mission accomplished" and that the US economy is blessed with "solid fundamentals" that are getting ever stronger. And in the same vein of unreality, there soon came the Senate's 97-2 vote to smack the Donald in his ample jaws and impose even more sanctions on Russia, thereby bringing the nation another step closer to the brink of war and bankruptcy.

Let us unpack this. The American people are being brought to ruin by three institutions that are mortal threats to liberty and prosperity. To wit, the Federal Reserve, the military/industrial/surveillance complex and a sinecured Congress that is burying unborn generations in debt — even as it sanctimoniously presumes that it is doing god's work by servicing the beltway racketeers who keep it perpetually in office.

On the latter score, it is worth reminding once again. An incumbent House member standing for reelection has a smaller chance of losing his seat than did a Politburo member during the heyday of the post-war Soviet Union.

So it is no wonder that the Congress is filled by Warfare State lifers like Senator John McCain. This senile old fool appears to believe that he is some kind of latter day proconsul of the American Empire — who struts around Washington spreading bellicose lies and flagrant exaggerations about Washington's self-created enemies.

So doing, McCain helps to keep the Imperial City enthrall to the defense contractors and military and intelligence bureaucracies that he champions out of sheer will to power and ornery bloodlust.

Not surprisingly, therefore, McCain was one of the principal authors and movers behind this week's latest spasm of anti-Russia hysteria. The bill would impose new sanctions against Russia “in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyber-attacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria,” according to the deal's sponsors.

Everyone of these assertions are blatant lies, of course. Russia is in Syria at the behest of its constitutionally established government; it is the CIA and its stooges among the Persian Gulf states which provides arms and billions to the head-chopping jihadist radicals, who are the real aggressors in what is now a desolate land of ruin and refugees.

Likewise, it was Washington's aggression — via funding and political support — in February 2014 that led to a coup on the streets of Kiev and the overthrow of its honestly elected President. The latter made the "mistake" of spurning NATO and the EU in favor of a more palatable economic deal with Moscow — its historic suzerain.

Moreover, it was the virulent anti-Russian neo-Nazi putsch — handpicked by the US Ambassador to Ukraine — that led to insurrection against the Kiev regime in the historically Russian-speaking Donbas and Crimea regions; and then to the 90 percent referendum vote of the latter to rejoin Russia, which it had been an integral part of for more than 160 years after 1783.

As for Russian "interference" in the 2016 elections in America — the very idea of it is ludicrous. The overwhelming source of "influence" in the American election process is the respective political parties, the legions of self-interested lobbies and PACs and the mainstream media and cable channels, which are overwhelmingly and irrationally anti-Putin.

So where did this nefarious "influencing" come from? The RT television network?

Puleese! Your editor can attest to having appeared on that network several times and to have attacked with some vigor the three rotten American institutions mentioned above—the Fed, the military/industrial/surveillance complex and the Congress.

But never once did we get any instructions from the Russians on the formulation of our broadsides. We thunk 'em up all on our own!

More importantly, we never heard from a single American viewer, either. Perhaps that's because RT apparently has fewer than a million viewers per day in the US.

So all the brouhaha is apparently about two-bit cyber-hacking that may or may not be the work of Russian State actors.

But so what? There exists a massive $ 200 billion per year internet security business in the world because by its very nature the worldwide web begets legions of hackers, thieves and malicious trolls.

These hacking operations are overwhelmingly conducted privately for profit and malice, but there is one giant state actor that does operate for the purpose of political influence and meddling in the affairs of nearly every nation on earth.

We are talking about the massive multi-billion hacking operation at National Security Agency (NSA) called Tailored Access Operations (TAO). The latter spends billions not only trolling every agency and bureau of the Russian Government — and the French government and Canadian government, too, among others — but also engages in worldwide cyber-false flag operations designed to lay down the "footprint" of Russian and others foreign agencies on top of Washington's own skullduggery.

And that's just NSA. The CIA has a counterpart operation in the same kind of worldwide hacking business, and these may only be the tip of the iceberg. After all, the total acknowledged budget of the 17-agency "Intelligence Community" (IC) is upwards of $ 75 billion or nearly 50 percent more than Russia's entire military budget including aircraft fuel, soldiers pay and spare boots.

Needless to say, the self-appointed imperial proconsuls' like McCain never stop to ask whether or not Washington's massive cyber warfare operations might be expected to generate counter-actions from those targeted as Washington's enemies or, more importantly, something even more insidious.

That is, McCain and in his Capitol Hill war party do not even know for sure whether "fancy bear" and the other code-named Russian state malefactors constantly bandied about in the mainstream media are really anything more than a couple of fat guys siting at desks at NSA headquarters in Ft. Meade propagating false-flag cyber-attacks.

In any event, Senator McCain, was delighted with this week's handiwork. The amendment allows “broad new sanctions on key sectors of Russia?s economy, including mining, metals, shipping and railways” and authorizes “robust assistance to strengthen democratic institutions and counter disinformation across Central and Eastern European countries that are vulnerable to Russian aggression and interference.”

Likewise, these new sanctions would be imposed on “corrupt Russian actors” and those “involved in serious human rights abuses". They would also target those who supply weapons to the Syrian government or who work with the Russian defense industry, as well as “those conducting malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government” and “those involved in corrupt privatization of state-owned assets.”

In short, Wednesday afternoon the US Senate just plain went nuts attacking a largely non-existent threat emanating from a pipsqueak nation that has a GDP equal to only seven percent of that of the US and no capacity whatsoever — other than one smoke-belching 40-year old aircraft carrier and a fleet rowboats — to attack the shores of New Jersey or any other place in the USA.

But those realities did not stop McCain from gassing effusively about his own dangerous handiwork:

'We must take our own side in this fight. Not as Republicans, not as Democrats, but as Americans,' said Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) before the vote. 'It?s time to respond to Russia?s attack on American democracy with strength, with resolve, with common purpose, and with action.'

The truth is, Russia has no more attacked American democracy than did the North Vietnamese at the Bay of Tonkin or the Spaniards on the Battleship Maine in 1898.

More importantly, no one else in the world thinks Russia is a serious threat — except the bureaucrats of NATO who make a living concocting such threats; and some itinerate nationalist politicians in Eastern Europe who are never loathe to play the Russian card in their quest for power and attention.

Even the Donald's own Secretary of State had this to say earlier in the week during his congressional testimony:

'I have yet to have a bilateral, one-on-one, a poolside conversation with a single counterpart in any country: in Europe, Middle East, even South-East Asia, that has not said to me: please, address your relationship with Russia, it has to be improved,' Tillerson said on Tuesday, testifying before the Senate appropriations subcommittee about the proposed State Department budget.

Folks, the point is quite simple. Unless Washington's bloated and wasteful $ 700 billion national security budget is pared back drastically, there is not a snowball's chance in the hot place of re-establishing fiscal discipline. As long the GOP hawks and pro-war Dems are pumping massive funding into the Deep End of the Swamp, the will be no cuts in domestic appropriations and no entitlement reforms, either.

Indeed, ever since Ronald Reagan's mild assault on the Welfare State was decisively turned back on Capitol Hill in the spring of 1981, the "guns and butter coalition" has ruled the roost. And that insidious coalition has taken the national debt from $ 1 trillion to $ 20 trillion along the way — even has it has locked in an automatic growth to $ 30 trillion or 140 percent of GDP by 2027.

That is also why the Deep State and Washington's bipartisan War Party will not desist until they have removed the Donald from office. And that's for the unspeakable sin of suggesting that rapprochement with the Russians and Putin makes more sense than the path to war and fiscal bankruptcy that is underway today.

Self-evidently, hell hath no fury like the prospect for world peace and the dismantlement of Imperial Washington's destructive global empire. A tiny step in that direction was all that General Mike Flynn undertook during his infamous calls with the Russian Ambassador in late December — a welcome initiative for which he was unceremoniously fired and is now under unrelenting persecution.

But it gets worse. Based on new leaks to the Washington Post it is now clear that the Deep State has used the Flynn Affair and the Donald's naïve request to former FBI director Comey to "go easy" on Flynn as a pretext for obstruction of justice charges against the President himself:

The special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia?s role in the 2016 election is interviewing senior intelligence officials as part of a widening probe that now includes an examination of whether President Trump attempted to obstruct justice, officials said.

 The move by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III to investigate Trump?s own conduct marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Investigators have also been looking for any evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates, officials said.

In this context, it is truly amazing that the "markets" have not yet woken from their stupor. The drive to unseat the Donald will leave the Imperial City in ungoverned chaos during the interim — meaning an unending crisis over debt ceilings, continuing resolutions and government shutdowns.

Still, perhaps by the looks of today's sea of red, the whopper told by Yellen during her presser yesterday may finally be sinking in.

Our clueless Keynesian school marm not only falsely claimed "mission accomplished" and that the US economy is heading for the promised land of permanent full employment and unprecedented prosperity. She also claimed that the Fed would soon begin normalizing its balance sheet to the tune of $ 50 billion per month of bond holdings runoff (i.e. effectively bond sales) — ultimately shrinking its holdings by more than $ 2 trillion — and that there would be nary a negative ripple effect thereupon.

As we will soon document further, the first part of Yellen's proclamation is a risible lie. There has been zero net gain in industrial production since September 2007; no net gain in breadwinners jobs since January 2001; and zero gains in real median family incomes since 1989. And that's permanent full employment prosperity?

But the real whopper was her assurance that the Fed's balance sheet normalization would be of no more moment than "watching paint dry" on a wall.

Say what?

Surely, Yellen does not mean that the law of supply and demand in the bond market has been repealed — such that $ 2 trillion of extra supply will not have any impact whatsoever on the price and yield of government debt securities. After all, if that is true when the Fed is selling bonds, why would it not have been true when it was buying them hand-over-fist?

Indeed, by the Fed's own lights its $ 3.5 trillion balance sheet expansion after the financial crisis caused bond yields to decline by more than 100 basis points — and we think that sharply understates the matter because it does not account for the "front-runners" effect.

That is, the hundreds of billions of bond purchased by carry trade gamblers, who were given free overnight funding to the tune of 97 percent of their investment, in order to by the very same bonds — down to the exact CUSIP numbers — that the Fed had announced it would be buying.

Stated differently, what was the point of QE if it was not to falsify and suppress bond yields in order to goose economic activity — even if that "stimulus", as it happened, never really left the canyons of Wall Street?

By the same token, why in the world would Yellen expect that the front-runners who fueled the bond bubble during QE will not find is profitable to short-sell what the Fed will be selling once its balance sheet shrinking campaign gets started?

Needless to say, the 100-300 basis points rise in the 10-year bond year bond yield that would result from the combination of Fed selling and speculators piling on would cause the entire global bond bubble to implode, and all the economic rot that is built upon it to shatter.

How long, for example, would the $ 2.6 trillion market in junk loans and bonds last under that regime. Given that the Fed's own action fueled a manic stampede toward yield, the havoc implicit in the chart below is nearly unfathomable.

The fact, is when there are no new breadwinner jobs, there is no gain in living standards or real prosperity. Indeed, Janet Yellen is lost in a Keynesian puzzle palace — and that is extremely bad news for the casino punters who still refuse to acknowledge the obvious.

source http://capitalisthq.com/david-stockman-blasts-the-derangement-danger-on-the-potomac/ from CapitalistHQ http://capitalisthq.blogspot.com/2017/06/david-stockman-blasts-derangement.html

[everettwilkinson]

David Stockman Blasts The “Derangement & Danger On The Potomac”

Authored by David Stockman via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity,

The horrific shooting spree on the practice field of the GOP's congressional baseball team was hardly the end of this week's madness on the Potomac.

As it happened, the former was apparently another random eruption by of one of America's sicko lone wolves — a wretch in the same league as South Carolina church killer, Dylann Roof. Notwithstanding that the latter had littered the nether regions of the internet with racist rantings while the former was apparently a prolific Never Trumper left-winger, neither represented a real threat to the nation's equanimity — even if they did bring a savage rain of violence to bear on those unfortunate dozens caught in their immediate line of fire. Not so for the 325 million American citizens who were pounded upon during the balance of the day by the allegedly "sane" Imperial City officialdom which rules the roost in America.

Specifically, we have in mind Janet Yellen's hideous presser in which she declared "mission accomplished" and that the US economy is blessed with "solid fundamentals" that are getting ever stronger. And in the same vein of unreality, there soon came the Senate's 97-2 vote to smack the Donald in his ample jaws and impose even more sanctions on Russia, thereby bringing the nation another step closer to the brink of war and bankruptcy.

Let us unpack this. The American people are being brought to ruin by three institutions that are mortal threats to liberty and prosperity. To wit, the Federal Reserve, the military/industrial/surveillance complex and a sinecured Congress that is burying unborn generations in debt — even as it sanctimoniously presumes that it is doing god's work by servicing the beltway racketeers who keep it perpetually in office.

On the latter score, it is worth reminding once again. An incumbent House member standing for reelection has a smaller chance of losing his seat than did a Politburo member during the heyday of the post-war Soviet Union.

So it is no wonder that the Congress is filled by Warfare State lifers like Senator John McCain. This senile old fool appears to believe that he is some kind of latter day proconsul of the American Empire — who struts around Washington spreading bellicose lies and flagrant exaggerations about Washington's self-created enemies.

So doing, McCain helps to keep the Imperial City enthrall to the defense contractors and military and intelligence bureaucracies that he champions out of sheer will to power and ornery bloodlust.

Not surprisingly, therefore, McCain was one of the principal authors and movers behind this week's latest spasm of anti-Russia hysteria. The bill would impose new sanctions against Russia “in response to the violation of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine and Crimea, its brazen cyber-attacks and interference in elections, and its continuing aggression in Syria,” according to the deal's sponsors.

Everyone of these assertions are blatant lies, of course. Russia is in Syria at the behest of its constitutionally established government; it is the CIA and its stooges among the Persian Gulf states which provides arms and billions to the head-chopping jihadist radicals, who are the real aggressors in what is now a desolate land of ruin and refugees.

Likewise, it was Washington's aggression — via funding and political support — in February 2014 that led to a coup on the streets of Kiev and the overthrow of its honestly elected President. The latter made the "mistake" of spurning NATO and the EU in favor of a more palatable economic deal with Moscow — its historic suzerain.

Moreover, it was the virulent anti-Russian neo-Nazi putsch — handpicked by the US Ambassador to Ukraine — that led to insurrection against the Kiev regime in the historically Russian-speaking Donbas and Crimea regions; and then to the 90 percent referendum vote of the latter to rejoin Russia, which it had been an integral part of for more than 160 years after 1783.

As for Russian "interference" in the 2016 elections in America — the very idea of it is ludicrous. The overwhelming source of "influence" in the American election process is the respective political parties, the legions of self-interested lobbies and PACs and the mainstream media and cable channels, which are overwhelmingly and irrationally anti-Putin.

So where did this nefarious "influencing" come from? The RT television network?

Puleese! Your editor can attest to having appeared on that network several times and to have attacked with some vigor the three rotten American institutions mentioned above—the Fed, the military/industrial/surveillance complex and the Congress.

But never once did we get any instructions from the Russians on the formulation of our broadsides. We thunk 'em up all on our own!

More importantly, we never heard from a single American viewer, either. Perhaps that's because RT apparently has fewer than a million viewers per day in the US.

So all the brouhaha is apparently about two-bit cyber-hacking that may or may not be the work of Russian State actors.

But so what? There exists a massive $ 200 billion per year internet security business in the world because by its very nature the worldwide web begets legions of hackers, thieves and malicious trolls.

These hacking operations are overwhelmingly conducted privately for profit and malice, but there is one giant state actor that does operate for the purpose of political influence and meddling in the affairs of nearly every nation on earth.

We are talking about the massive multi-billion hacking operation at National Security Agency (NSA) called Tailored Access Operations (TAO). The latter spends billions not only trolling every agency and bureau of the Russian Government — and the French government and Canadian government, too, among others — but also engages in worldwide cyber-false flag operations designed to lay down the "footprint" of Russian and others foreign agencies on top of Washington's own skullduggery.

And that's just NSA. The CIA has a counterpart operation in the same kind of worldwide hacking business, and these may only be the tip of the iceberg. After all, the total acknowledged budget of the 17-agency "Intelligence Community" (IC) is upwards of $ 75 billion or nearly 50 percent more than Russia's entire military budget including aircraft fuel, soldiers pay and spare boots.

Needless to say, the self-appointed imperial proconsuls' like McCain never stop to ask whether or not Washington's massive cyber warfare operations might be expected to generate counter-actions from those targeted as Washington's enemies or, more importantly, something even more insidious.

That is, McCain and in his Capitol Hill war party do not even know for sure whether "fancy bear" and the other code-named Russian state malefactors constantly bandied about in the mainstream media are really anything more than a couple of fat guys siting at desks at NSA headquarters in Ft. Meade propagating false-flag cyber-attacks.

In any event, Senator McCain, was delighted with this week's handiwork. The amendment allows “broad new sanctions on key sectors of Russia?s economy, including mining, metals, shipping and railways” and authorizes “robust assistance to strengthen democratic institutions and counter disinformation across Central and Eastern European countries that are vulnerable to Russian aggression and interference.”

Likewise, these new sanctions would be imposed on “corrupt Russian actors” and those “involved in serious human rights abuses". They would also target those who supply weapons to the Syrian government or who work with the Russian defense industry, as well as “those conducting malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government” and “those involved in corrupt privatization of state-owned assets.”

In short, Wednesday afternoon the US Senate just plain went nuts attacking a largely non-existent threat emanating from a pipsqueak nation that has a GDP equal to only seven percent of that of the US and no capacity whatsoever — other than one smoke-belching 40-year old aircraft carrier and a fleet rowboats — to attack the shores of New Jersey or any other place in the USA.

But those realities did not stop McCain from gassing effusively about his own dangerous handiwork:

'We must take our own side in this fight. Not as Republicans, not as Democrats, but as Americans,' said Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) before the vote. 'It?s time to respond to Russia?s attack on American democracy with strength, with resolve, with common purpose, and with action.'

The truth is, Russia has no more attacked American democracy than did the North Vietnamese at the Bay of Tonkin or the Spaniards on the Battleship Maine in 1898.

More importantly, no one else in the world thinks Russia is a serious threat — except the bureaucrats of NATO who make a living concocting such threats; and some itinerate nationalist politicians in Eastern Europe who are never loathe to play the Russian card in their quest for power and attention.

Even the Donald's own Secretary of State had this to say earlier in the week during his congressional testimony:

'I have yet to have a bilateral, one-on-one, a poolside conversation with a single counterpart in any country: in Europe, Middle East, even South-East Asia, that has not said to me: please, address your relationship with Russia, it has to be improved,' Tillerson said on Tuesday, testifying before the Senate appropriations subcommittee about the proposed State Department budget.

Folks, the point is quite simple. Unless Washington's bloated and wasteful $ 700 billion national security budget is pared back drastically, there is not a snowball's chance in the hot place of re-establishing fiscal discipline. As long the GOP hawks and pro-war Dems are pumping massive funding into the Deep End of the Swamp, the will be no cuts in domestic appropriations and no entitlement reforms, either.

Indeed, ever since Ronald Reagan's mild assault on the Welfare State was decisively turned back on Capitol Hill in the spring of 1981, the "guns and butter coalition" has ruled the roost. And that insidious coalition has taken the national debt from $ 1 trillion to $ 20 trillion along the way — even has it has locked in an automatic growth to $ 30 trillion or 140 percent of GDP by 2027.

That is also why the Deep State and Washington's bipartisan War Party will not desist until they have removed the Donald from office. And that's for the unspeakable sin of suggesting that rapprochement with the Russians and Putin makes more sense than the path to war and fiscal bankruptcy that is underway today.

Self-evidently, hell hath no fury like the prospect for world peace and the dismantlement of Imperial Washington's destructive global empire. A tiny step in that direction was all that General Mike Flynn undertook during his infamous calls with the Russian Ambassador in late December — a welcome initiative for which he was unceremoniously fired and is now under unrelenting persecution.

But it gets worse. Based on new leaks to the Washington Post it is now clear that the Deep State has used the Flynn Affair and the Donald's naïve request to former FBI director Comey to "go easy" on Flynn as a pretext for obstruction of justice charges against the President himself:

The special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia?s role in the 2016 election is interviewing senior intelligence officials as part of a widening probe that now includes an examination of whether President Trump attempted to obstruct justice, officials said.

  The move by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III to investigate Trump?s own conduct marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Investigators have also been looking for any evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates, officials said.

In this context, it is truly amazing that the "markets" have not yet woken from their stupor. The drive to unseat the Donald will leave the Imperial City in ungoverned chaos during the interim — meaning an unending crisis over debt ceilings, continuing resolutions and government shutdowns.

Still, perhaps by the looks of today's sea of red, the whopper told by Yellen during her presser yesterday may finally be sinking in.

Our clueless Keynesian school marm not only falsely claimed "mission accomplished" and that the US economy is heading for the promised land of permanent full employment and unprecedented prosperity. She also claimed that the Fed would soon begin normalizing its balance sheet to the tune of $ 50 billion per month of bond holdings runoff (i.e. effectively bond sales) — ultimately shrinking its holdings by more than $ 2 trillion — and that there would be nary a negative ripple effect thereupon.

As we will soon document further, the first part of Yellen's proclamation is a risible lie. There has been zero net gain in industrial production since September 2007; no net gain in breadwinners jobs since January 2001; and zero gains in real median family incomes since 1989. And that's permanent full employment prosperity?

But the real whopper was her assurance that the Fed's balance sheet normalization would be of no more moment than "watching paint dry" on a wall.

Say what?

Surely, Yellen does not mean that the law of supply and demand in the bond market has been repealed — such that $ 2 trillion of extra supply will not have any impact whatsoever on the price and yield of government debt securities. After all, if that is true when the Fed is selling bonds, why would it not have been true when it was buying them hand-over-fist?

Indeed, by the Fed's own lights its $ 3.5 trillion balance sheet expansion after the financial crisis caused bond yields to decline by more than 100 basis points — and we think that sharply understates the matter because it does not account for the "front-runners" effect.

That is, the hundreds of billions of bond purchased by carry trade gamblers, who were given free overnight funding to the tune of 97 percent of their investment, in order to by the very same bonds — down to the exact CUSIP numbers — that the Fed had announced it would be buying.

Stated differently, what was the point of QE if it was not to falsify and suppress bond yields in order to goose economic activity — even if that "stimulus", as it happened, never really left the canyons of Wall Street?

By the same token, why in the world would Yellen expect that the front-runners who fueled the bond bubble during QE will not find is profitable to short-sell what the Fed will be selling once its balance sheet shrinking campaign gets started?

Needless to say, the 100-300 basis points rise in the 10-year bond year bond yield that would result from the combination of Fed selling and speculators piling on would cause the entire global bond bubble to implode, and all the economic rot that is built upon it to shatter.

How long, for example, would the $ 2.6 trillion market in junk loans and bonds last under that regime. Given that the Fed's own action fueled a manic stampede toward yield, the havoc implicit in the chart below is nearly unfathomable.

The fact, is when there are no new breadwinner jobs, there is no gain in living standards or real prosperity. Indeed, Janet Yellen is lost in a Keynesian puzzle palace — and that is extremely bad news for the casino punters who still refuse to acknowledge the obvious.

from CapitalistHQ.com http://capitalisthq.com/david-stockman-blasts-the-derangement-danger-on-the-potomac/

[jake-runs-alot-blog]

Running with the Marines

This story begins on March 31, 2016 with an email.

Dear Jake Bostwick,

Congratulations! You have reason to celebrate as you are an officially registered participant in the 41st Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) to be held on Sunday, October 30, 2016 in Arlington, VA.

The MCM wishes you great success in your training. Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm for running “The People’s Marathon!”

Semper Fidelis, 

Marine Corps Marathon 

30,000 runners would be staging the start line and because I was chosen through a digital lottery system, I would be one of them. Thus started the seven month process of booking hotel rooms, buying airline tickets, running, deciding what monuments and museums to visit, more running, and more running. Tagging along with me on this trip would be my parents and my then girlfriend, Rachel. 

Sunday October 30, 2016. 4:30 AM

Race mornings are unique. The mix of emotions would make for one crazy emotional smoothie roller coaster. You’re tired from the early 430 alarm, and the not being able to sleep from the night before. Your stomach hurts, either from being hungry or nerves, but usually both. There’s a since of doubt, thinking to yourself if I’m prepared for this race; have I done enough so I don’t kill myself out there. The anxiety knowing it’s finally race day but you still have a few more hours to go. And probably most importantly, the excitement. You finally get to partake in this 26.2 mile journey (especially this unique journey of getting to run by so much history) that you’ve been looking forward to for 7 months and it’s finally here.

To be honest, it’s stressful. I gotta make sure I eat early enough so that it’ll digest. I gotta get to the race with enough time to get through security and use the restroom and warm up and stretch and eat a little bit more and get in the corral and all the variables. But this morning I remember just being calm. This race I wasn’t going for any time goals or PR’s. I knew this race, this course, was going to be so memorable I almost could care less about the competition of the race or the need to do well. I never listen to music while I run so I hardly ever take my phone with me on runs and races. But knowing what I was about to experience, videos and pictures and taking it all in was my only concern this race.

The hotel food is spot on legit and this morning’s breakfast was no difference. Except the fact that it was full of runners all dressed up ready to go. Belly full, gear on, and bag packed, it was go time. The plan was Rachel and I would taxi to the Pentagon, which is where the runner’s village was, then once the race got underway she would meet up with the parents and they would meet me at various points throughout the race with extra fuel and liquid that I may need.

The taxi ride was harmless, traffic wasn’t too bad except for the dozens of charter buses. But we got to the Pentagon. So we started walking and eventually got to the security checkpoint, which was exactly what you’d expect security to be for the Marine Corp Marathon: marines! And lots of them. Between them and the police and other security it was definitely the safest place to be. We had gotten there early enough we hung out for away in the runner’s village, which was huge in itself being that it was one of the parking lots for the Pentagon. About 45 minutes to go I started making my way to the starting corral, which by the way was on a highway. They had shut down both directions of route 110 and opened it up for the sea of runners.

“The MCM start line is uniquely situated between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. The location offers a distinct reminder to runners that this is not just any marathon. Situated between those actively protecting our country and the fallen heroes, who for generations have given their lives for our freedom, runners immediately recognize the MCM’s 26.2 mile journey is about shared sacrifice. Everyone at this event has given something. The Marines and other members of the U.S. armed forces give of themselves in service to our country. The runners give themselves over to an active lifestyle, a commitment to physical fitness and a desire to achieve. Synchronized by the impeccable timing device attached to each runner’s bib, the MCM course pulses with the energy of give and take from these two contributing forces. Marines motivate runners. Runners gain the admiration of Marines. The result is a day of accomplishment, satisfaction and cherished memories.” -Marine Corp Marathon website

Walking down the highway towards the start is a surreal moment. It seemed loud from all the chatter of the runners and the multiple PA systems blasting loud pump music and the emcee giving out instructions and motivational talks, but quiet and calm too. You see the countdown timer and people retying shoes and syncing their GPS watches and doing some last minute warmup and stretches. Way up ahead I see the red and yellow inflatable start line you run under. There are crosses on my left from the cemetery that we had toured the day before. There’s already thousands of spectators with their home made signs and the news stations have their cameras all set up. The weather is perfect: cool, hardly no breeze, partially cloudy. This is one of my favorite parts of races, the calm and serenity before the gun goes off and the storm of the race begins. After the pre-race festivities of the national anthem, at 7:40 the boom of the M2A1 Howitzer, yes they use a real cannon to start the race, releases the wheelchair and hand cycle competitors. Now it was our turn.

15 minutes to go.

10 minutes. Retie shoes again for 4th time.

5 minutes. Make sure GPS watch is synced.

1 minute. High five random stranger

30 seconds. Hear a roar of an engine from behind me. Turn around and see the customary fly over by 2 Marine Osprey helicopters flying right over us and then…

BOOM

The Howitzers release us. Commence running.

 Sunday October 30, 2016. 7:55 am  

I was about a hundred yards from the start line so there wasn’t any movement for about 30 seconds. Then we started the penguin shuffle, which escalated into a walk, then a slow jog, then a few moments after the canon fired, my race started. At the beginning of each marathon I’ve done, the mood at the beginning when you get going is fun, with a little chaos. People are talking to each, dropping jokes like “Only 26 miles to go!, all while you’re trying to weave in and out of slower runners. For those of us that had run a marathon before, we knew the struggles and pain that would come at some point during the race. But for those first few miles, nobody, including myself, cared.

The race was a very flat course, except for the first 2 miles which were uphill. We all preferred a hilly beginning. With all the congestion, you really don’t get to your normal pace for a few miles until the race starts to spread out so it’s not like we were going to waste much more time or energy with these early hills.

The first few miles flew by. Running through city streets past businesses, the crowd support was already outstanding: loud and ruckus like a football or basketball game, except everyone was rooting for you. Between miles 3-4 we ran through an area with no buildings, no people, no cars, just a winding downhill road with very tall trees on both sides. A very peaceful section on the George Washington Memorial Parkway that ran parallel to the Potomac. Across the river I could see the tall steeple of the Georgetown University Library, and after crossing the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge between mile 4 and 5, we entered Georgetown. Some of the coolest little, old buildings were in this section, and the best smelling food. Along miles 6 and 7 we ran down a tree lined road and under some awesome historic stone covered bridges before making a U-turn to start heading back towards what I was most looking forward to seeing, DC monuments.

Mile 8 had us running right parallel with the Potomac River again on the right side, and the Watergate Hotel and the Kennedy Center on the left. Running under the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge we ran along the back side of the Lincoln Memorial, maybe a 100 yards away. I soon met up with Rachel and got some more fuel and liquid, best coach ever! After crossing Taft Bridge at mile 10, we entered the East Potomac Park area, and the Wear Blue Mile section.

The Wear Blue Mile lasts for a whole mile. And along both sides of the road are flags, volunteers holding flags, and pictures of fallen service members. A whole mile of fallen service members. I slowed down some so that I could try to see them all but there were so many of them. I recognized a few names like Pat Tillman and Michael Murphy but it was definitely the most memorable moment of the race for myself.

Miles 11-13 flew by and before I knew it I was already halfway there. And it was right around mile 13 that I could see the giant Washington monument and I knew more fun stuff was to come. We hopped onto Independence Avenue and got views of the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin, later passing by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the FRD Memorial. Saw Rachel and the parents again and got more goodies from them. We then loop back along Independence Avenue on the side closest to the National Mall and saw the Korean and WWII Memorials. This area the crowds got even bigger and louder. Signs, air horns, banging sticks, they just kept going and going. Around mile 15.5 there it was, the Washington Monument. It was literally right there. Maybe a couple hundred feet away. I couldn’t help but slow down and look up at it. AND from a distance, the White House was in view. Pretty small, but in view.

The crazy thing about this race is the emotional and physical roller coaster it was playing on me. I had some inspiration and a high running through Blue Mile, then a bit of a low through miles 12-13. Then a huge high once we got into the heart of DC. Seeing all the monuments and history definitely helped masked the pain and fatigue. After seeing the Washington we entered the National Mall which lead straight to The Capitol.  Now the National Mall is long, really really long. It’s slightly over a mile long, one way. And we had done 16 already. But the high continued. Seeing all the cool museums like the Smithsonian, National Gallery of Art, and the National Museum of Natural History continued to help mask the fatigue. All while the Capitol kept getting bigger and bigger. And then there she was. Running on 1st St she was right there. Bigger and cooler than I ever expected. America happens there. And I’m running right by it. Thus began another mile run on the opposite side of the mall with views of the Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Castle, and the historic carousel. I met up with the family around mile 18 for more fuel. I knew I was starting to ware down so arranged one more meeting point down the line, which will end up being a great idea.

Finally leaving the National Mall section, we passed the National Holocaust Museum on our way back to Virginia. We hopped onto I395, another highway they had shut down for the race, and continued on crossing over the Potomac one last time. And then the adrenaline and the high from the past 5 miles went bye bye. Hitting mile 19 was hard, no monuments, very little crowd support, the gut check started to kick in. I got pass mile 20 and we entered into the Pentagon south parking lot. 10 kilometers to go and I was cramping. It was crazy to think this day had started on the other side of this ginormous building a few hours earlier.

Miles 21.5-23.5 went through Crystal City, which was a huge pick me up. The crowds got huge again, and their energy got me pumped up again. Plus the extra meeting with the family gave me enough to know I could finish the race. After the long down and back of Crystal City, we wound through the city before hopping on to Jefferson Davis Highway and running by the Pentagon again on the east side and coming out near where the Runner’s Village was from that morning. A little over a mile to go.

For the end of October and early November, Washington DC was unseasonably warm. Race day that morning it started out cool, but some 4 hours later the temperature had risen pretty well. And after running 25 miles, you’ll doing all you can to stay focused and trying to keep yourself from passing out. We hopped back onto the same highway we started on, and just in that stretch I saw 3 runner’s down with medical personnel trying to help them. I felt bad for them knowing we had a mile to go and their race was most likely over. That’s the hard part about marathoning, any plan and training you have can go out the window just like that. We all take that risk.

I kept trekking along. About a half mile to go the crowds started to grow. You start doing the self-motivation talking. “C’mon Jake, keep pushing”. “You’re almost there, gut it out”. They say the first half of a race is ran with your legs, the second half is ran with your heart. At the point of the race, those that really want it finish the race. The cemetery was back on my left again. We ran under the bridge where the start line was. I recognized the port-o-potty I used before the race. Such a surreal moment at this point of the race, usually don’t remember a whole bunch of it. I heard a man yell, “A quarter mile and two more turns and you’re done!” Just one lap around a standard track, and that’s it left. I saw turn one, and a steep hill straight up. What a cruel trick to play on us after running 26 miles! Then turn two. There it was, the finish line. With one last burst I heard the emcee yell over the speaker, “Jake Bostwick from Edmond, Oklahoma!”

And that’s all she wrote.

 Sunday October 30, 2016. 4.08:19 after the start

On February 19, 1945, 70000 marines invaded the island of Iwo Jima. After 36 days of fighting, nearly 7000 marines were killed. On February 23, 1945, five days after the invasions begin, Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal took a picture of six men, Cpl. Harlon Block, Navy Pharmacist’s Mate John Bradley, Cpl. Rene Gagnon, PFC Franklin Sousley, Sgt. Michael Strank, and Cpl. Ira Hayes. These six men planted the American flag on top of Mt. Suribachi, in return giving the world one of the most iconic pictures ever taken. On November 10, 1954, a statue sculpted by Felix W. de Weldon from the picture was dedicated by President Dwight D Eisenhower on the 179th anniversary of the US Marine Corps. Thus the Marine Corp Memorial was made. It is the largest bronze statue in the world, standing at close to 78 feet. The figures are 32 feet high and the canteen is said to be able to hold 32 quarts of water. There is flag at the top of the pole that flies at full mast 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This was our finish line.

The steep hill one turn away from the finish line was a representation of our fight to climb the mountain, to climb our own Mt Suribachi to reach the finish line. I thought it was a very cool similarity of the battle they fought over 70 years ago and our battle we fought today.

It wasn’t my fastest or slowest marathon, but it was definitely the most memorable. Just as the marines had been manning all the aid stations, there were still more of them handing out medals. I retrieved mine, got my picture in front of the memorial, and thus proceeded to hobble along to find the family. 

Marathon number 7 was in the books.